Tasty Ideas for the Ultimate Pizza Night

Hosting a pizza night is the best way to enjoy your favourite food, without ordering in or heading out. With the help of a pizza oven or pizza braai, a decent base, a selection of toppings, and a bit of practice, you’ll be cooking up the perfect slice in no time. In this guide, we share some tips on how to plan a pizza night for friends and family.

Planning a Pizza Night?

You don’t have to be a master chef to enjoy a pizza night at home. You don’t have to share your creations, either. Whether you’re keen to enjoy your pizza with others or perfect the craft of pizza-making on your own, here’s what you need, to start.

Get your base

The base is arguably the most important part of the pizza. Even if you prefer thin-base pizzas, you cannot make a decent pizza without a decent base. There are a few options here. You can learn how to make your own base (a skill that will definitely come in handy for years to come). You can also get pre-made bases. Choose high-quality bases that won’t end up falling apart or getting too hard during cooking.

Choose your toppings

After you have your base, you will first need to add some classic tomato sauce. Most pre-made bases have these already, so you likely won’t need to worry about that too much. You will, however, need to think about your toppings. The great thing about making your own pizza is that you are not limited by toppings. You can design your very own pizza, using your favourite ingredients. Get creative, try new flavour combinations and experiment! When you’ve selected your toppings, add them to your base evenly, leaving a few centimetres around the base. Top with a soft cheese such as mozzarella and your pizza is ready to be cooked to perfection.

Have the right tools

You can cook a pizza in a regular oven. This won’t give you the smell, taste or texture of a pizza cooked the proper way – in a pizza oven. You can look for a dedicated gas pizza oven or try a combination kettle braai rotisserie and pizza oven. Along with your oven, you’ll need a pizza shovel that you will use to place the pizza into the oven and remove it when it’s done, as well as other accessories such as a pizza stone brush.

Get cooking!

Now for the fun part… cooking your pizza. Pizza ovens heat up very quickly. As most pizza bases are thin, there is a fine balance between cooking your pizza until the base is nice and crispy and burning the base. You also want your toppings to be evenly cooked and your cheese to be melted rather than burnt. Most pizzas will take around 10 to 15 minutes to bake. Always make sure you check your pizza without removing it from the oven so that you can see when the top looks cooked. 

Ready to get started? You’ll find all the tools you need for your pizza night right here at Cook-Out.