Introduction: Lazy Cook - Pizza at Home


The problem with being single and loving pizza is how to get a fresh pizza without ordering delivery, paying too much for frozen, and having to make too much at a time.  Let's keep this instructable as easy as the pizza is to make!

Step 1: Collect Your Ingredients


Get out your ingredients:

FLOUR tortillas (A couple of dollars for 20 - 10 cents per)
Pizza sauce (A couple of bucks for enough for 20 - 10 cents per)
Shredded cheese (Three dollars for enough for 10 - 30 cents per)
Toppings (optional - Pepperoni is about three bucks for 20 - 30 cents per)
Seasonings (optional - but shouldn't be - a couple of cents max per)

Total cost per pizza = 10 + 10 + 30 + 30 + 2 = 82 cents per pizza

Note: I make my own Italian seasoning by mixing oregano, basil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.  You can buy a similar mix at most grocery stores.

Step 2: Turn on the Oven

Set your oven to preheat to 400 while you perform the rest of the steps. Make sure it is at temp before putting the pizza in!

Something to think about, how do you know if your oven keeps a good temperature? Buy a oven thermometer. That way when you think you're cooking at 400 you actually are.

(That was an easy step, huh?)

Step 3: Place the Tortillas on a Cookie or Pizza Sheet, Add Sauce

Simply lay the tortillas out on your cooking sheet.  Spoon on the sauce.  One heaping teaspoon per pizza is enough!

(Believe it or not, you can cook these on heavy paper plates in a pinch.  SAFETY -  Make sure the temp never reaches about 400.  Paper burns at 413 degrees)

This is a great time to rinse off the spoon and put it up to dry...

Step 4: Add Cheese

Take a hand pinch (fingers and thumb full) and place it heaped in the center of the pizza.  Use your fingers to pat the cheese into a nice circle.

Step 5: Add Seasonings

To me, this is the most important step.  If you've ever had a pizza that made you think, "Hey this is better than usual!", it's probably most because of the seasoning.  Cheese is cheese, bread is bread, and toppings are toppings.  What makes any pizza so good is the seasonings.  Even if you think it is the sauce, it's because of the seasonings in the sauce, right?

First of all, put it on before the toppings so it settles down into the cheese.  Secondly, don't over do it; a small amount goes a long way.  Try to sprinkle it evenly and consistently.

See the picture of how to regulate the flow of an open bottle with two fingers.

Step 6: Add Toppings

Now just place your toppings on.  Remember that any meat topping is going to add some grease from their fat content.  That's okay, fat is where meat gets its flavor.  Just be careful not to add LOTS of meat toppings.  A pizza is something that should be a meaningful blend of tastes.  Too much of any one thing ruins it!

Also note that I placed my fixings all in the center of the pie.  Since my pan is warped down in the center I really should (and normally do) put them somewhat to the high side so they don't slide off the tortilla as they bake.  You'll see in a minute when they come out of the oven.

Step 7: Put in Oven

Make sure the oven is preheated to 400 already.  If you put it in too soon, the heating elements trying to bring the temperature up with scorch and burn your pizza on the outside and leave the inside undercooked.  This is true of all cooking and one of the biggest mistakes people make in baking.  WAIT until the oven is preheated to put your masterpiece in!  Just opening the door causes the oven to have to heat back up!

Step 8: Set a Timer!

Set your timer for 12 minutes.  Know how some recipes tell you to adjust the time for your oven?  That's because ovens aren't all accurate at keeping the heat you set them to.  We don't have to worry about that because we are using a thermometer!  Set the timer to 12 minutes for perfect pizza!

Check things out at about six minutes - you'll see something like the second picture.  Remember, don't open the door!  It has a window for a reason.

Step 9: Remove From Oven

When the bell goes off, take your pizza out of the oven.  Remember, things in the oven are HOT.  You can use your hand, but for the next week or two it will hurt like crazy and might even get infected from the third degree burns - use a hot pad!

Set it on another hot pad to cool a bit before cutting.  This usually takes about three minutes.

Notice how my pizza slid to the middle of the pan some - almost off the pizza?  I could have started uphill a bit so that as it slid it would be moving to the middle of the pan.  If you have a nice new pan this shouldn't matter.

Also notice how dark the cheese is.  This is because of the type of cheese.  If you use mozzarella it will be lighter.

Step 10: Cut Into Slices

I cut mine into four slices.  This makes it easy to put on a single plate if you made two.

DON'T FORGET!  Lazy cooks clean utensils as they use them. 

Step 11: Clean Up

Well, all that's left is cleaning up a bit.  If you use a stainless steel wool pad, anything on the pan comes off real easy.  I usually do this right before I eat the pizza.  That way all I have left to do is toss the paper plate when I am through eating!

My brother thinks I should not use paper plates due to deforestation.  I wonder which is worse, deforestation or using up clean water for washing.  I'll leave that for another Instructable...

Enjoy your fresh hot pizza!