Wine + Homemade Pizza Night! (aka The Best Night of the Week)
Let’s set the scene: it’s Friday. You’re tired. The group chat is quiet. The only plans you have? Pizza and wine. And honestly, that’s peak living.
This isn’t just any pizza, though. We’re talking thick, golden, focaccia-style crust—crispy on the bottom, pillowy on top. Think Sicilian vibes, but make it casual. And the wine? A chilled glass of San Antonio Wines to make it all feel a little extra special. It’s 16% ABV and somehow still so easy to sip. IYKYK.
Okay but what makes this pizza the one?
Let me put you on to the secret: the parbake. Parbaking is like giving your crust a little head start before it gets hit with sauce and cheese. It ensures the base is sturdy, golden, and totally ready to hold all that cheesy, saucy goodness without getting soggy. If you’ve ever had sad, droopy crust—this is how you fix it.
Let’s talk dough.
This focaccia-style dough is way easier than it looks. Like, one bowl, no kneading, barely an inconvenience kind of easy. All you need to do is stir the ingredients together (you don’t even need a stand mixer), cover it, and pop it in the fridge for a day or two. That slow cold ferment does all the work—developing flavor, bubbles, and that perfect pillowy texture. It’s the kind of recipe that works around your schedule, not the other way around. Just plan ahead, and future-you will be very, very happy.
Tips from my pizza heart to yours:
- Focaccia-style dough is the move. High hydration = airy, chewy, dreamy crust.
- Use a baking stone or dark pan. Shiny pans are cute but won’t give you the crisp you want. I use a baking stone.
- Butter + olive oil combo in the pan = extra browning and zero sticking.
- Dimple the center, not the edges. This keeps the crust evenly thick.
- Parbake at 500ºF for 11-12 minutes, then lower the temp to 475ºF for the final bake.
- Don’t skip the chilled San Antonio wine. Especially this one—it pairs with literally anything.
TL;DR:
You can totally make this. It’s beginner-friendly, low-key impressive, and honestly? Pizza + wine night deserves to be your new tradition.
Grab the recipe, chill the wine, and treat yourself. You earned it.
Focaccia-Style Pizza
Ingredients
Focaccia-Style Pizza Dough (Make 1–2 days in advance)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups 512 g bread flour
- 2 teaspoons 12 g kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons 8 g instant yeast
- 2 cups 455 g lukewarm water (combine ½ cup boiling water + 1½ cups cold water)
- A few tablespoons of avocado oil for coating and pan
Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients:
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Pizza Assembly
You’ll Need:
- Your rested pizza dough
- 2 tbsp avocado oil for brushing
- 1 –2 tbsp softened butter for extra crispy magic
- 12 oz grated cheese mozzarella, Monterey Jack, cheddar—mix it up!
- Pepperoni the star of the show
Instructions
Focaccia-Style Pizza Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Pour in the warm water and stir until everything is just combined—don’t overthink it. No kneading needed.
- Cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge for 24 to 72 hours. This is your flavor development era.
- When you’re ready to pizza: Take the dough out of the fridge. Using lightly oiled hands, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl. Then, with the same oiled hands, pull one edge of the dough up and fold it into the center. Turn the bowl a bit and repeat this stretch-and-fold move until you’ve formed a rough ball of doughy goodness.
- Drop that dough ball into your well-buttered and oiled pan, and flip it around to coat. You don’t need to cover it—the oil keeps it from drying out.
- Let the dough rest at room temp for 3 hours. After that, use your oiled hands to gently stretch the dough toward the corners of the pan using a “tent your hands and dimple” technique. If it starts resisting (rude), walk away for 30 minutes and come back for round two. Stretch again until it reaches the corners.
Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and oregano. Simmer for 10–15 mins, then let cool. (It’ll smell like a pizzeria in your kitchen.)
Pizza Assembly
- Preheat your oven to 500ºF.
- Dimple the dough gently with your fingers—don’t press the edges. Brush with avocado oil.
- Parbake the crust for 11–12 minutes. Trust the process.
- Pull it out, top with sauce, cheese, and pepperonis. Bake again at 475ºF for another 10–12 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Let it cool for a few mins, slice it up, pour a glass of San Antonio wine, and live your best life.
