With so many of us heeding orders to stay at home in these times, a lot of us are rediscovering — or learning for the first time about — kitchen basics. We’re cooking and baking in greater numbers now than we have in decades. And not without reason.

We all have to eat.

I’m going to start to share daily cooking and baking posts, along with handy kitchen tips. Whether you’re new to the kitchen, or feel a bit rusty when it comes to a particular skill or technique, I hope to help with these posts. And if you’re looking for any particular information or recipe, contact me and I’ll do my best to help you out, or point you to the right resource. You can reach me at: noelle@noellecarterfood.com.

Last night, my much better half wanted pizza for dinner. And after a couple of weeks on our pandemic pantry diet, a splurge on cheesy comfort food sounded, well, really comforting.

If you’ve never made pizza at home, it can understandably sound intimidating, messy, and time-consuming. Who has the time, or desire, to make homemade pizza when delivery is so simple, and quick?

Really, it’s not difficult at all. And once you’ve tried homemade, you might never go back to store-bought again.

I made a basic batch of pizza dough. The recipe, which you’ll find below, makes enough dough for 4 (10- to 12-inch) pies. If you’re feeding a large family, you’re set; if you’re feeding a small household, like mine, the extra dough freezes well, ready to thaw whenever the craving arises.

I made two pies last night, making a point to go light on the sauce, cheese and toppings (DON’T go too heavy, or the weight of the toppings will prevent the pie from baking evenly, and will give you a soggy crust).

Start to finish, the whole process took a little over 2 hours, but that involved very little active work (most of the time was leaving the dough alone so it would have time to properly rise).

Give the recipe a spin, and let me know what you think. And if you really want to geek out on homemade pizza, check out the story I wrote several years ago, exploring the science behind a great pizza (and tips for converting your oven into one that rivals the best pizzarias) and sharing additional recipes for sauce and toppings.

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH

25 minutes, plus rising times. Makes enough dough for 4 (10- to 12-inch) pizzas

• 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey

• 4 cups (19 ounces) bread flour, divided, plus more for kneading

• 1 (1/4-ounce) package active-dry yeast, about 2 1/4 teaspoons

• 2 teaspoons salt 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water with the sugar and 2 teaspoons flour. Whisk in the yeast. Set aside until the yeast begins to foam or bubble, about 10 minutes. (If the yeast fails to bubble, discard the mixture and start over.) Meanwhile, whisk the salt into the remaining flour until evenly combined.

2. When the yeast is bubbly, beat in the oil. Begin adding the flour mixture, a cup at a time, gently beating until combined. Continue incorporating the flour with your hands, gently kneading it into the dough while still in the bowl. When all the flour is added, turn the dough out onto a well-floured board.

3. Knead the dough just until it comes together in a smooth, supple mass, 7 to 10 minutes. Flour the dough and board as needed to enable kneading, but do not over-flour the dough or it will be tough; the dough should be moist and somewhat sticky throughout (the high moisture content will keep the crust from drying out when baked).

4. Clean and lightly oil the mixing bowl. Place the dough back in the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap until doubled in size, about 1 hour. If possible, cover and refrigerate the dough overnight (this slows the proofing process to allow the flavors to develop); remove the dough two hours before baking, punch it down and set it aside to give it time to warm sufficiently.

5. When the dough is risen, punch it down and divide it into 4 equal pieces. (If not using all of the dough, place leftover pieces each in a sealable freezer bag and freeze; thaw before using). Roll each piece into a ball and place them on a greased baking sheet. Lightly oil the top of each ball and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Set aside until almost doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

6. If you have a pizza stone or baking tiles; place them on the lowest rack of the oven. Heat the oven to the highest temperature it will reach, 500- to 550-degrees.

7. Lightly flour each ball of dough to keep it from sticking. Gently stretch each ball into a flat disk, working from the center of the dough outward, then stretching the outer crust to widen the disk. If the dough springs back, set it aside to rest on a floured surface and move to the next ball. Continue to stretch until each disk is 10 to 12 inches in diameter.

8. Place each disk on a well-floured pizza peel, parchment sheet or flat baking sheet before assembling to prevent the pizza from sticking before it is moved to the oven. Assemble the pizzas.

9. Bake the pizzas, one pie at a time, until the dough is puffed, browned and crisp, the cheese is melted and the toppings are cooked or warmed through, 8 to 10 minutes (timing will vary greatly depending on the heat of the oven, the presence or absence of a baking stone or tiles, and oven set-up).

10. Cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Note: From Noelle Carter.