Our Friday Pizza Night: Two Homemade Pizzas for About $8
Our Friday Pizza Night: Two Homemade Pizzas for About $8
Pizza night has become one of our favorite family traditions. Every Friday, instead of ordering takeout, we make our own pizza from scratch. I mix up homemade dough, simmer a simple pizza sauce, pick fresh basil from the garden, and top each pizza with fresh mozzarella, Italian sausage, and pepperoni. The best part? We can make two homemade 11–12 inch pizzas for about $8, which is a fraction of what we'd spend ordering takeout.
Why We Started Making Pizza at Home
Like many families, we noticed that ordering pizza has become expensive. Depending on where you order from, two medium pizzas can easily cost $30–$45 before delivery and tip. I've been making more of a conscious effort to be frugal with my money, so instead of completely cutting out pizza nights, we switched to making our own from scratch. Not only has it saved us money, but it's also become something we genuinely look forward to every week.
Homemade Pizza Cost Breakdown
| Ingredient | Amount Used | Cost Used |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 2 cups | $0.52 |
| Instant yeast | 1 packet | $0.36 |
| Olive oil (dough) | 2 Tbsp | $0.21 |
| Sugar | 1½ tsp | $0.01 |
| Salt | ¾ tsp | <$0.01 |
| Garlic powder | ¼ tsp | $0.02 |
| Tomato sauce | 2 cans | $1.62 |
| Herbs & seasonings for sauce | Oregano, basil, garlic, etc. | ~$0.30 |
| Fresh mozzarella | ½ of 8 oz log | $1.65 |
| Pepperoni | ½ package | $1.40 |
| Italian sausage | ½ package | $1.78 |
| Cornmeal | Light dusting | ~$0.05 |
| Olive oil (crust) | Light brush | ~$0.05 |
| Fresh basil | From the garden | $0.00 |
Homemade vs. Restaurant Cost
Here's a price comparison of what our Friday pizza night looks like:
| Option | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|
| Homemade (2 homemade 11–12" pizzas) | ~ About $8.00 |
| Domino's (2 medium specialty pizzas, pickup) | $42.58 |
| Local pizza shop (2 small specialty pizzas, pickup) | $33.46 |
Estimated savings every pizza night:
Compared to Domino's: about $34
Compared to our local pizza shop: about $25
Every family is different, and prices vary by location, but for us, making pizza at home has become one of the easiest ways to stretch our grocery budget while still enjoying a favorite meal.
Our Pizza Dough
After trying a few recipes, I found one that works really well for our us. I start with a homemade pizza dough recipe from the blog, Sugar Spin Run: https://sugarspunrun.com/the-best-pizza-dough-recipe/
Two cups of bread flour, gives me enough dough to make two homemade 11–12 inch pizzas. The dough is soft, easy to work with, and bakes into a chewy crust that holds up well to homemade sauce and fresh toppings.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Instead of buying pizza sauce, I make my own. First, I slowly reduce canned tomato sauce into a thicker tomato paste. The recipe I followed for tomato paste can be found here:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-tomato-paste-3061655
Then I combine that homemade tomato paste with another can of tomato sauce and seasonings to create a rich pizza sauce. It's inexpensive, tastes fantastic, and lets me control exactly what goes into it.
The recipe for pizza sauce that I follow can be found here:
https://joyfoodsunshine.com/easy-homemade-pizza-sauce-recipe/
Fresh Ingredients Make a Difference
Our favorite pizza is simple.
It includes:
Homemade pizza dough
Homemade pizza sauce
Fresh mozzarella
Italian sausage
Pepperoni
Fresh basil from the garden
My Pizza Oven Tip
Whether I'm baking in the kitchen oven or our outdoor coal/wood-fired pizza oven, I sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza pan. It helps the dough slide much more easily and keeps it from sticking. When I'm using the outdoor pizza oven, I also brush a light layer of olive oil around the outside edge of the crust before adding the toppings.
Through trial and error, I've found that it helps keep the crust from cooking faster than the center of the pizza, giving everything a chance to bake more evenly. It's a simple step, but one I've come to appreciate after making a lot of homemade pizzas.
You Don't Need a Perfect Pizza
One thing I've learned is that homemade pizza doesn't have to look like it came from a restaurant. Some pizzas are perfectly round, some aren't, sometimes the cheese melts a little unevenly, and sometimes one side browns more than the other. Which is okay! It's homemade! You'll Make more memories of your family making homemade pizzas on pizza night, then just ordering it on an app.
Is Homemade Pizza Worth It?
For our family, absolutely! Making pizza at home saves us money, lets us choose our own ingredients, and has become one of our favorite Friday night traditions. Instead of spending $30–$40 every week on takeout, we spend around $8, enjoy making dinner together, and usually have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Could we order pizza instead?
Sure. But there's something satisfying about making the dough from scratch, simmering the sauce, picking basil from the garden, and pulling two fresh pizzas out of the oven. For us, Friday pizza night isn't just about saving money anymore, it's about creating our own family traditions. To be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way now.
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