Tonya Schaefer is a pizza connoisseur, and she’s recently become one of the neighborhood’s best pizza chefs, too. “Pizza is my favorite food,” Tonya says, “and when our favorite pizza shop closed down in February of 2020, followed by COVID closing everything down a month later, I decided to try to make it at home – I really enjoy cooking and being in the kitchen. I’ve always thought it was hard to duplicate ‘real pizza’ at home, but I wanted to try and learn, and see if I could make it a little healthier as well.” 

After learning to make rising pizza dough using the King Arthur ‘00’ Pizza Flour recipe, Tonya began making pizzas in her kitchen oven. They were delicious. But on Christmas Eve 2023, she received a surprise she never would have expected: her brother Brent gave her an Ooni outdoor pizza oven. “It’s a gift I never imagined I would have,” Tonya reflects. “It is such a generous gift from Brent and his wife.” When the weather warmed up, Tonya made her first batch of pizzas on the patio, and what was a 20-minute bake time for each pizza became a 90- second bake time. The porch smells like a pizza shop, and the Schaefer family dines al fresco. 

The outdoor experience also carries over onto ingredients: “We are growing our own pizza garden in pots on the patio, full of herbs, Roma tomatoes, peppers, and jalapeños.” Tonya prefers peppers – red, orange, yellow, or green – onions, and mushrooms on her pizza (with no cheese); when it comes out of the oven, she tops it with basil, sliced avocado, and a spritz of olive oil. Tom chooses pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions, jalapeños, and heavy cheese; and Grace likes light cheese, tomato, mushrooms, and basil best. “I have found with the pizza oven,” Tonya says, “when it comes to toppings, less is more. A nice thin layer of toppings produces such a perfectly cooked pizza crust.” While adding toppings lightly before cooking, some, like sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, and basil, can be added afterwards. Part of the fun of making pizza is picking different toppings for different times, and as the patio pizza garden begins to produce during the summer, the possibilities are even better. 

While making the crust can be one of the greatest challenges of making pizza, Tonya overcame it quickly – it is part of the fun of the Schaefer pizza shop, as unique as the topping varieties the family enjoys. “One thing I really like about the pizzas I make is the rustic shape,” Tonya says. “I look forward to experimenting with different types of crusts and pizzas.” While the current crust is the ideal combination of thin and fluffy, she hopes to learn to make Sourdough, Focaccia, and flatbread, among other cooking and baking projects. 

But it all started with her brother’s Christmas gift – a gift that keeps on giving. 

King Arthur Pizza Crust Ingredients: 

To read the full recipe for Tonya’s pizza crust, visit https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/neapolitan-style-pizza-crust-recipe