We make pizzas from home every once in a while. I used to hate homemade pizza because the dough always just tasted like cheap, bland biscuit dough to me. One solution would be to skip the boxed pizza dough that we keep in our food storage pantry, and go with a dough ball from your grocer or take home pizza parlor. However, that boxed mix is pantry stable, and inexpensive. There are some premade crusts that are also pretty great. However, if you are doing pizza dough from a box, baking mix or pizza crust pouch, I have a few secrets to help it taste more like your pie came from a pizzeria.

Mix in some herbs while you are rolling the dough. I usually throw in a pinch of basil, and a bigger pench of dried oregano. Roll well to make sure it is equally distributed. You can also just use your premixed Italian herbs.

In the last few rolls of your dough and before you stretch is out, sprinkle some olive oil into your palm, rub into the other hand and then work out the dough.

My last tip, and maybe the best one is so simple and a cheap way to add some needed texture. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cornmeal (just plain cornmeal) out on the pizza board or baking sheet. Add your dough over the cornmeal, and if needed add a bit more around the edges. The original cornmeal may have been displaced when the dough was stretched. I also like to add a bit after the toppings are all added, but only to the exposed crust edges. Bake on the bottom rack of your oven, at least for me, this allows my crust to cook more evenly without burning the cheese.

These tips will make your home pizza taste better, maybe even more grown up, and the smell from those herbs baking in the oven is sure to make your house smell awesome too!