Start With Pizza Crust

Premade pizza crusts were one of the best inventions of the 20th century. All you need is some imagination and some leftovers, and you can create a gourmet pizza at home when you start with pizza crust.

A hot oven is one of the secrets to a great pizza; a pizza stone is another. Preheating the stone in the hot oven means the crust will be crisp and flaky, and the toppings will be perfectly heated and blended. If you don't have a stone, bake the pizza directly on the rack so the heat reaches it without a barrier.

You can use premade pizza dough for these recipes; just bake them first before you add the toppings. Boboli crusts is another winner, or use thin focaccia bread.

Start With Pizza Crust

• Salmon Pizza
  Vegetables, a creamy sauce, and savory salmon combine to make an elegant gourmet salmon pizza that's fun to make.
• Mexican Pizza
  There's so much topping for this Mexican pizza that you do need two pizza crusts. It's rich, creamy, crisp, and so satisfying.
• Caramelized Onion Focaccia
  If you love onions, this is the pizza for you! Add any meat if you'd like, but ​this pizza is perfect on its own.
• Pizza Calzones
  Who says pizza has to be flat? This wonderful recipe puts pizza fillings inside crust to make a delicious, easy to eat pizza calzones treat.
• Bacon Pizza
  Wow, bacon, sour cream, garlic, onions, and cheese - what more could you want? Your kids will love this bacon pizza.