In theory, at least, a pizza party is meant to be fun — I mean, it has party right in the name. But in practice, it can be hard to make it the enjoyable, stress-free gathering you’ve imagined as you sweat over shaping, baking, and serving hot pizza in real time. Here are our best tips for throwing a pizza party at home that everyone, including the host, can enjoy. 

People don’t talk about it, but July is actually one of the best months to bake. The market is overflowing with fruit that shines in everything from pies to Bundt cakes, plus there are opportunities to bake something for the beach or enjoy childhood favorites outdoors. Here’s what you should bake (or in some cases, freeze!) this month.

The Fourth of July is here, which means cookout season is upon us! And maybe this year, instead of rocket pops and s’mores (or in addition to rocket pops and s’mores) you try out one of the fruit-forward recipes on this list for your holiday celebration. Bonus points for anyone who makes their own hot dog and hamburger buns for all your July Fourth grilling.  

I work from home, and I still find it challenging to feed my sourdough starter regularly.

We don’t get behind every baking trend (just listen to me talk on a recent episode of our podcast about how much I dislike chocolate chip cookie croissants), but as a devoted cake lover I’ve been paying attention to the latest viral baked good, the Dot Cake. 

Pizza is a shapeshifter. What originally came to our shores from Italy has transformed and mutated in countless way across the US — it’s gotten thicker, thinner, much thinner, bigger, smaller, redder, whiter, and so much more. Part of the fun of pizza is baking — and eating — it in countless forms, and diving into the myriad styles scattered across the country allows you to do just that.

The best way to bake with summer fruit is to turn it into a pie. We have plenty of tips to nail your pie crust so it’s tender and flaky, but if you really want a failproof pie, our range of pie tools is here to ensure success and make the process easier. Think of these as your secret ingredients.  

Pie Crust Bag 

As a professional baker, baking is how I bring comfort to others. While my words sometimes fail, baking enables me to nurture the people closest to me; when I bake for someone, I do so because I care about them deeply. As a boy growing up, however, caring for and nurturing others weren’t traits I was rewarded for focusing on.  

Nothing destroys a pizza faster than an undercooked mushroom. Too firm, chewy in all the wrong ways, and also somehow .. sweaty .. it is one of the serial killers of great pies, matched only by undercooked onions (crunchy, pungent) and suspiciously chewy bacon. We should all know to avoid these obvious offenders by now. But think about it: When was the last time you suffered through a pizza that essentially had a hot raw salad on top? Whenever it was, it was too recently. 

Why make homemade pizza when a hot pie is just a phone call (or app swipe) away? For one, it’s more affordable. Secondly, it’s more customizable: Choose your favorite style(s), add your favorite toppings, opt for a gluten-free crust, tweak the sauce to your taste, and add some finishing touches. (We’re all in on hot honey.) And beside the practical reasons to make pizza at home, there's also another reason: It's fun.

It’s finally summer, which means it’s time to reacquaint yourself with the simple pleasures of warm-weather baking. These include chilled bars, fresh fruit cobblers, and recipes perfect for outdoor grilling. Whether you're hosting a cookout or relaxing on the porch, these June recipes will bring a touch of sweetness to your summer.

Some of the best recipe ideas just involve smashing two desserts into one. I mean, what if a fruit pie was actually a cupcake? Or a croissant turned into bread? We’ve dubbed these ideas “mashup recipes,” and they’re some of the most fun to make (and eat!). From doughnut-like cakes to pie-inspired bars, these unique desserts are the best of both worlds. 

Of all the questions we get about sourdough baking (and we get a lot), the most common ones usually revolve around starter: how to make it, how to feed it, and how to know when it’s ripe and ready to be used for baking. Timing the maintenance

Every baker needs a reliable sandwich bread recipe they can keep in their back pocket. Make a loaf and you’re halfway to a week full of toast, sandwiches, and afternoon PB&J pick-me-ups.  

Telling people you’re making your own wedding cake elicits responses that range from “Are you insane?” to “How are you actually going to pull that off?” It’s true, it’s not for the weak, but it’s a unique challenge some bakers (including me!) are willing to take on.  

Not everyone loves cake. And for those people (many of whom are in my own family), a traditional layered birthday cake simply won’t do for their special day. Whether you’re celebrating an avowed cake hater or simply want to change things up at parties this year, we have lots of birthday desserts that aren’t cake, including ice cream, blondies, baked Alaska, and even a giant cinnamon roll.

If you’ve ever dumped a whole bottle of food coloring into a batch of frosting only to be left with a pale pastel hue instead of the deep, vibrant colors you were going for, you know that making bright frosting can be a challenge. That’s particularly true when it comes to natural food colorings, which are typically not as saturated.  

If you’re looking for a new recipe to try this month, we’ve got you covered. Already got your hands on some rhubarb? Add it to chewy bars alongside a handful of white chocolate. Need a fun bread project? We’ve got chocolatey glass bread and authentic New York-style pizza. Eager for strawberry shortcake? We have an easy version that gets a shortcut from a handy flour. Let’s get baking!

Scrolling on Instagram, we’ve noticed an uptick in bakery-style cookies .. only they’re coming out of home ovens, not pastry cases. What makes a bakery-style cookie? They’re jumbo in size (often filling an entire pastry sleeve!) and have thick, gooey centers to boot. Here are our tips for nailing this style at home. 

While sourdough starter might conjure images of crusty artisan loaves, that only scratches the surface of naturally leavened breads. Don’t stop at boules and baguettes; you can use your starter to make fluffy milk bread, chewy naan, airy doughnuts, and much more — check out our full lineup of recipes that take sourdough to unexpected places.