Homemade Ground Beef Pizza
The first ground beef pizza I made was a greasy mess. I’d crumbled raw beef straight onto the sauce, figuring the oven would handle it, and it did. Sort of. Little gray pebbles sitting in orange puddles. Now I brown the beef first, in big lumpy pieces instead of fine crumbs, and pour off whatever renders out before it gets anywhere near the cheese.
Most weeks I make more sauce than I need on purpose. One cup goes on the pizza and the rest sits in a jar for pasta later in the week, which is honestly half the reason I bother simmering it. The dough freezes well too, so on a lazy night I pull a ball out of the freezer that morning and let it thaw in the fridge. I bake it on a dark 13-inch pan, and we eat it with a bagged Caesar salad.
A homemade ground beef pizza on a soft, chewy crust, with a garlicky oregano tomato sauce underneath. Plenty of mozzarella. Where the cheese meets the hot pan it crisps into lacy brown edges, kind of the best part. Leftover slices keep three days in the fridge and reheat in a 375°F oven in about 8 minutes.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until the surface turns foamy.1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast, 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, 2/3 cup warm water
- Add the canola oil, salt and about 1 1/2 cups of the flour and stir until smooth. Work in the remaining flour to make a soft dough, then knead it on a floured counter for 5 to 6 minutes, until it's smooth and springs back when poked.1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp canola oil, 1/2 tsp salt
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
- While the dough rises, warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano and basil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened. Measure out 1 cup for the pizza and refrigerate the rest for pasta.1 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 can tomato sauce, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the beef and break it into large chunks rather than fine crumbs. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until browned with no pink left, then drain off the fat. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.2 tsp olive oil, 1/2 lb lean ground beef, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Grease the pizza pan with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Punch down the dough, press and stretch it to the edges of the pan, and leave a slightly thicker rim. Spread the 1 cup of sauce in a thin layer, stopping about 3/4 inch from the edge.
- Scatter the mozzarella all the way to the sauce line, sprinkle the parmesan over it and dot the beef evenly on top. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cheese is browned in spots and the bottom of the crust is golden.2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella, 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- Let the pizza rest in the pan for 3 minutes so the cheese sets, then slide it onto a board and cut it into 8 slices.
Nutrition
Notes
Store-bought dough works too: use 1 pound and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching. The extra tomato sauce freezes in 1-cup portions for up to 3 months.
You might also like our Easy Blush Sauce.
