Date Night Idea: Make Homemade Pizzas From Scratch

For a fun and tasty twist on the typical night in together, why not roll up your sleeves and make your own homemade pizzas from scratch?

The best part about this date is that it's a chance to get creative, throw out the rule book, and experiment with different flavors together. Grab a glass of your favorite drink, lay out your toppings (ideas below), and let the conversation flow.

Date night at a glance

Date night difficulty: 😅 😅 ◯ ◯ ◯

Things you’ll need: Pizza ingredients (see below)

Time needed to prepare: 20-25 minutes minutes to prep ingredients + shopping time if needed

How doing this will improve your relationship

Research conducted by relationship expert Dr. John Gray found that couples that enjoy cooking together are significantly more satisfied in all areas of their lives than couples who don’t cook together.

This correlates with further findings that cooking together is a great way to foster communication, spend time together in the moment and work on your team work; plus embracing a shared activity that requires attention and creativity is great for couple bonding.

What's more, research by Rachel Herz and Jonathan Schooler in 2002 shows memories involving smells are even more powerful than memories evoked by visual or verbal cues, so get messy and let this special date night leave its mark!

Flirty date night tip

Cooking is also an opportunity for physical intimacy. Lay out all of the ingredients in bowls in front of you, so you can cook side-by-side. Reaching over to grab your chosen ingredients and your bodies will get you tangled up in no time.

3 couple questions to ask on this date night

1. What’s the most memorable pizza you’ve ever eaten?
2. If you could eat just one country’s cuisine for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
3. What food habits have you picked up from your childhood?

Make Your Own Homemade Pizza

Things you'll need

For the pizza base

You can either make the dough from scratch, which doesn't take long at all, or choose a store-bought dough. For an even speedier method, buy plain pizza bases (or even soft tortillas would do the trick) and use these as a base for the pizza instead of making your own.

If you'd like to have a go at making your own dough, check out this recipe from Love & Lemons.

For the tomato sauce

Nothing beats a classic tomato sauce when it comes to a homemade pizza. You can make your own of course, but if you want to keep things simple, choose a store-bought tomato paste or puree (concentrated) or passata, which is pureed, strained tomatoes. Half a cup should be enough per pizza.

Homemade pizza topping ideas

The beauty of homemade pizza is that you can add whatever you want. Have fun! Play around with your favorite toppings and flavors or add new ingredients you've never tried before.

For example, for a sweet and spicy combo, try:

Mozzarella cheese (sliced – one cup or more), mushrooms, sweet corn kernels, peppers, jalapeños (the hotter the better!), red onions and black olives.

Or, for something different that's hot and satisfying, try adding chorizo, goats cheese and rocket.

Both of these homemade pizza recipes taste delicious topped with fresh basil and parmesan after the pizza is baked.

Method:

1. Prepare pizza base and preheat the oven to 430° F (220° C) (or according to the pizza recipe you are using.) You want the oven piping hot.
2. Spread the tomato puree or passata all over the pizza base using the back of a spoon. Leave about a ½ inch border for the crust.
3. Sprinkle your favorite pizza toppings over your pizza (don’t add too many, or you’ll end up with a soggy pizza). Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are cooked. Why not ask one or two of our date night questions while you wait?
4. Remove pizza from the oven and top with your favorite fresh herbs, a handful of rocket or shavings of parmesan for a perfect finish. Cut into wedges and serve.
5. Devour immediately together and let the good times roll!