How I Made a WHOLE Pizza for Under $1

[@gautam-narula]

My biggest takeaway is that even using top level, high quality ingredients, a whole pizza at home is barely $2

[@k47w]

A pizza for me is $5-$7. I also buy grande mozzarella

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Yeah pizza is very affordable to make! I will say for that one,I bought most of those ingredients in bulk from food service stores and whatnot so the cost might come up to like $3-4 if you’re not doing that. Still not too bad though

[@davidmckean955]

@@CharlieAndersonCooking I mainly make pan pizza these days which has double the ingredient amounts and NY style and it still ends up under $3.50 for a 10" pizza

[@skorpers]

Yeah make sure to watch for coupons and sales on premade crusts and sauce. Also buy flour any chance you get in bulk. Cheese on sale is also a god sent. Freeze what you won't be using.

[@gautam-narula]

A useful tip for freezing cheese-portion it into blocks of cheese meant for exactly one pizza and wrap each block individually (I tightly wrap in cling wrap and then store in a ziplock bag) before freezing. You can then pull out the exact number of blocks you need based on how many pizzas you’re making

[@joshstinnett9815]

There was a period of about 3 months during college when I was living off $15 a week in groceries (not just food), and this was exactly how I did it. I even had friends over for pizza parties, and we were living it up. Good stuff👍

[@-EchoesIntoEternity-]

he really took dollar pizza to the next level, from slice to whole pie 😲

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Haha that was the goal!

[@ithink3979]

​@@CharlieAndersonCooking I made this dough yesterday so I could try this pizza for family din din a little earlier this evening. Reporting in: Big hit with all of them! My stepdad asked "what is your secret" so I said I'd tell him for a dollar. He gave me one, then I showed him this video title and said "now you see, I got the better deal here" :)

[@chrispaul023l]

there is not a thought behind those eyes

[@Dimitris_Datseris]

Even better question is pizza considered the pie ?

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@CharlieAndersonCooking Bro, Walmart is evil. I’m legit disabled on nothing but social security income (so I’m extremely poor), but despite that I still will never spend a penny in their stores (and I never gave in my 48 years of life). Some things are not worth compromising on, and principles regarding Walmart is one of them! I encourage you to actually research just how terrible and horrendous that company is, and to not only never shop there again, but never promote them again! The moral value of where we spend our money actually matters.

[@TheGraceConnection]

This is the video I needed as a Dad looking for a great budget option at home.

[@robertdevoy3119]

The tomato sauce will last for years if you keep it upside down in the fridge after mixing it. The acid in the tomatoes won't allow mold to grow around the lid as it would if not turned upside down.

[@MasterGhostf]

Thats interesting to know, gonna have to do that.

[@ArcYT]

No, storing tomato sauce upside down in the fridge won't make it last for years. Here's why: Storage time: Commercially produced tomato sauce comes in sterilized containers and has an expiration date that reflects safe storage practices. Homemade sauce should be stored for a maximum of 3-5 days in the fridge. Mold growth: Mold spores are everywhere, and simply flipping the container won't prevent them from reaching the sauce. Acidity can slow some types of mold, but it's not a guaranteed barrier. Seal integrity: The most important factor for preventing spoilage is a good seal. A broken or loose seal can allow bacteria and mold to enter, regardless of the position. Here's how to safely store tomato sauce: Proper container: Use an airtight container for homemade sauce. Cool temperature: Store the sauce in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Shorter storage: Homemade sauce is best used within 3-5 days. ----- There isn't sufficient scientific evidence to support the claim that storing tomato sauce upside down in the fridge after mixing it will extend its shelf life. While acidity can inhibit bacterial growth to some extent, it's unlikely to prevent mold growth entirely. Proper storage of tomato sauce involves refrigeration in an airtight container and following the manufacturer's instructions regarding shelf life and storage recommendations.

[@Frederick-765]

@@ArcYT chatgpt response...

[@Dac_vak]

I’m new to this channel, but I’ve already binged five pizza videos. Thank you so much for meticulously cataloging your pizza journey. This is so incredibly informative and helpful! Thank you!

[@NanClaymore]

I was sure I was going to see something in this video I didn't: My local walmart has a LOW MOISTURE WHOLE MILK great value brand mozarella. It looks just like the part skim version, but it's whole milk and like a buck more. It's been my go-to cheese for pizza for a few years and it's actually works really really good. They don't ALWAYS have it, and they usually have less of it than the part skim kind, so not surprised if it's not at every walmart everywhere. But if you are a home pizza person LOOK FOR IT PLZ!

[@CriticalTechReviews]

The one an hour from me has it but the local one doesn't! Thank you for reminding me to pick some up!

[@nicholasbyram296]

You can usually find it in the peel and eat mozzarella sticks. It also melts and browns way better when you shred it yourself in a magic bullet or something.

[@therealnecromancer1231]

i was going to comment the same thing, i can't stand walmarts part skim mozzarella because it tastes exactly the same as cheddar the whole milk low moisture* is actually delicious though i usually can only get preshredded where i live

[@LacoSinfonia]

It’s got “whole milk” in red letters. I had to go to the wal mart in another town 30 minutes south of me. They seem to have stopped selling it also :(((((

[@nicholasbyram296]

@LacoSinfonia Mozzarella cheese sticks are the "last bastion," because they can't be wet.

[@LacoSinfonia]

Did the math for my ingredients with your ny style recipe. First of all, best pizza I’ve ever had. Second of all, 16inch pizza for $3.79

[@jlewkut]

This has to be the best informative video. Not just for making a GOOD cheap pizza but the fact you can get grocery store ingredients. I've watched every pizza video this man of science posted more than once and most of the others. This one has helped me the most. I still use high gluten flour but damn did this video open so many options. Charlie is the MAN.

[@kilroyscarnivalfl]

Was pleasantly surprised the Aldi brand tomatoes rated well for you. I do wish they had a whole tomato option. Aldi’s flour is a bit lower in protein than some AP flours (def than King Arthur) - I tend to do a mix of their flour and KAF bread flour for some things.

[@nelsonpun]

i think this is a great way to get good at making pizza. Always good to practice with cheap ingredients, and you'll probably learn a lot more too. Thanks for doing all the research so we know what to do.

[@InfiniteQuest86]

Dude, so many things. When he said his NY style pizza video was a year ago I was so confused. What happened to the time? That completely changed pizza for me but it doesn't seem very long ago. Second, lol a full pizza for under $1 is truly amazing.

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Haha yeah the final recipe was back in February so not quite a year, but I think I filmed the sauce video over a year ago now.

[@jacobp.2024]

ALSO, if you really love honey and you're considering Manuka.. LOOK FOR LOCAL HONEY IN YOUR COMMUNITY FIRST. Unprocessed honey straight from the producer at a farmer's market or similar is great! If you're crazy enough to have manuka shipped to you, this is the first avenue you should take, because yes, this honey does more antioxidants and yes, it tends to be much richer and taste better. Also less carbon impact, and generally better for the bees since these apiaries tend to be better tended to and even rescue hives. Manuka is great, BUT it's not *that* much better than good local honey for most people.

[@mikeybeeee07]

very cool! I only discovered your channel recently. I think it was the Philly cheesesteak roll recipes where you compared recipes like Brian Langerstrom's and others. I did some basic bread/dough making in high school early college years but have been wanting to get back into it. I cooked a lot during that time. I'm getting back into it now and wanting to branch out and do more stuff like this. I'm also an accountant by day and geeked out over your spreadsheet. very cool and nicely done! I love the scientific/analytical approach to preparing recipes.

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Thank you, I'm glad you've enjoyed the videos! I have an engineering background so I like making the spreadsheets too haha.

[@Anti-Fake-ul9oe]

@@CharlieAndersonCooking " I have an engineering background so I like making the spreadsheets too haha." A pizza maker with "engineering background"? It's a waste intellectual energy and money. No need to have "engineering background" to use spreadsheet software, but needs software engineering background to program one.

[@salilgupte4507]

Around the time of your original NY Pizza Series, I did see low moisture whole milk mozz at Walmart. Great Value brand, exact same size brick as the part-skim...packaging almost exactly the same...but the word "Whole" was in red font on the package to differentiate.

[@prccap]

In Jersey we use DeLallo for sauce if we run out of our own, but anytime we use canned we open each whole tomato and rinse out the seeds and ribs

[@default.editzs]

sell these for $8- $10 each, people will think its cheap and come back often.

[@Flare03l]

an Aldi VS Walmart with only generic brand ingredients pizza comparison would be really interesting!

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

Nah. Eff Walmart.

[@finnafishfl]

@@anti-ethniccleansing465 sure but they have more things.

[@tysone1254]

this video is really well made! Very well thought out and the editing style is amazing

[@LeeTaylorIsOk]

Walmart's Low Moisture Whole Milk Mozzarella is a fantastic bargain. It's my go-to for pizza and I've been making pizza for 5 years now.

[@repulsewarriorx8825]

...wish you had checked the ingredients of the canned tomatoes; i am wondering if the preservatives etc are an important factor in taste, as well as who uses whole tomatoes (only).

[@TheSlickIzzy]

I agree that the whole milk low moisture mozzarella is a bit wetter (fresher) than I'd like. I use Walmart delivery and I only like to order once a month so I learned this on accident. I buy three 1lb bricks and store them in the back of the fridge because like I said, once a month. After a 2-4 weeks they're significantly drier than when first purchased. Then the older they get, the sharper they get. They usually stay fresh quite a long time but if you notice any mold, just cut it off and use the good part. 😁

[@CaptainOlimarFan1]

aldi is great for pizza now i cant make dough but they provide cheep cheese slices and cheap dough ready to be made into pizza for first timers like myself there is just something so therapeutic about making pizza and you can make 2 large pizzas for under 12-13 dollars with topping of your choosing its honestly a win win

[@Nul1fy]

Really took me away when I saw the driving cut and seen you pull into the steelyard commons Walmart bro, I shop there all the time 😂

[@Funybudy]

New to the channel and been loving it! Gives me Ethan Chlebowski and Kenji Lopez's vibes with all the technical information. One thing that makes me chuckle is how you use the pizza cutter ;) is it not suppose to be vertical? Keep it up!

[@B81Mack]

You know what they say about Walmart... If they don't have it; you have to go home, get out of your pajamas, take a shower, get dressed and go to Target.

[@jellyface401]

You are giving away gold. Thanks very much!

[@EricJorgensen]

The Great Value whole milk mozz appears to be Galbani Italian Style with a different label.

[@bartiz12]

How much fat is there in whole milk mozarella, by weight? We do not have such brandings here in Europe, so I would appreciate a way to differentiate these from part-skimmed :) Also, tomato taste test was really interesting, need to conduct one with my favourite brands as well. I am being told every time, that blending tomatoes crushes the seeds and makes the taste more bitter, which funny enough, I was never able to actually notice. More than that I can see, that cooking / pasteurizing tomatoes gets rid of that fresh, bright taste.

[@supernoobsmith5718]

20-25% fat for medium dry mozzarella, like the popular Polly-O brand. It's not the wet kind, but medium like a mozzarella stick snack. Be thankful you don't have low fat cheese, it's absolutely awful. Trust NO ONE that says otherwise.

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Yeah a whole milk mozzarella is usually about 7g of fat per 28g of cheese. The other way you can you tell is that a whole milk mozzarella should be 90 Calories (kcal) per oz (28g), wheras part-skim mozzarellas are typically 80 Calories per oz.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

I’ve seen people who simply use their hands to crush their WHOLE canned tomatoes (some folks empty out the liquid in the can first). I imagine that way you won’t be breaking up the seeds via blender to create that bitterness. I’m curious if that could save money too, doing it that way, with a cheaper brand as long as it’s whole tomatoes and not already pre-crushed.

[@KJ-bc3de]

Awesome video, it was a really nice and well thought out touch to surprise us side by side comparison of this budget pizza vs your signature pizza. Cheers to your videos and to your success!

[@davidhalldurham]

Charlie, you da man!!! I love Alta Cucina tomatoes but I'll definitely test out that Aldi brand.

[@sandon763]

Budget Chicago deep dish next?

[@Maggies87]

Hi Charlie, I’m curious. Why no iodized salt for baking? Thanks!

[@GL-GildedLining]

Excellent video! Eye-opening and mouth-watering.

[@chazcov08]

You are easily my favorite pizza KZbinr! Keep up the great work!

[@shiny_aias]

Watching you make this is like watching an amazing guitarist play. You make it look easy, but I know if I were to try, it'd be a mess

[@TomThePizzaGuy]

If you used whole milk mozz string cheese you get so much better flavor

[@cjaquilino]

@12:55 Sclafani and Jersey Fresh come from the same plant.

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

That’s what I’ve heard before too but they taste vastly different

[@cjaquilino]

@@CharlieAndersonCooking Yeah, that info is via Scott Wiener. But it just shows how variable they can be from can to can. I’d love to figure out where store brand flours are from.

[@playground246]

Great value is a real homie

[@ObsequiousV4]

Do you find tomato sauce changes flavour much when it cooks? I notice the texture is very different. It sort of dehydrates and becomes more paste-like but I've never done a side by side taste test after the oven.

[@jessepremo7398]

So maybe bake the pie without cheese then add whole milk cheese and minute or two before it’s done cooking?

[@Dinolobe376]

What pizza peel do you recommend ? You used at least two different ones in the video, one wooden and one metal. I always struggle to transfer my pizzas from my countertop to the stone in the oven.

[@scoobtoober2975]

In colorado whole low moisture mozz is usualy findable. Some times not. Walmart that is. 3.80$ lb

[@pukkavidz]

Love your videos! With the spreadsheet you could also make the cheapest pizza possible (not just the best for $1 - how low can you go?), and "what is the minimum amount you have to spend to make a pizza" accounting for total cost and unused ingredients

[@michaeltorres3231]

Charlie love your videos. Just one suggestion if I may. Always check ingredients. Know your ingredients. For instance some of your Morton salt have cyanide type like ingredients. Ingredients are important they have 40 different names for MSG it can be under Natural flavoring, Spices, Modified food Starch, anything that is Hydrogenated. Don't compromise Healthy more expensive ingredients over cheap unhealthy ones. the Food Babe has a great channel on ingredients. Love your videos, and your passion for making the best NY style slice and pizza. I have watched all your videos and I am totally impressed with your meticulous research. Keep up the Great work you do...

[@accuwau]

but msg is so taaassttyyyy

[@jorgennorstrom]

3 bucks for 0.5lbs is crazy, where im from those are like 7 dollars. dont know the exact convertion rates from dollars to Norwegian kroners. but its a round there

[@charlestatakis9363]

Good work! That is a nice pie but indeed anyone should be able to make a small 10 inch pizza for around $1 if you use bread flour, canned tomatoes and grated mozz and cheddar. Only about 10 to 15% of the price of a typical pizza shop pizza are the ingredients.

[@jordanbest3926]

This was awesome! Thank you

[@bruschi8148]

I have to try Alta Cucina my fave for now is tomato magic

[@jamesstein5087]

Me too, I usually use 7/11.

[@xjcrawler01]

Thanks for doing this its interesting. for an extra dollar probably worth it.

[@BlackJesus8463]

yup

[@4.0.4]

I tend to make high quality food at home. Sometimes I calculate how much I spent, just out of curiosity. Most often than not, the price is lower than _junk food_ per serving. And I don't even try to save money on the ingredients!

[@chrisdickinson4576]

If you ever release that spreadsheet Pizzahut is finished.

[@Haliotro]

Do all the cruahed tomatoes have no salt or other things added? Seems like the level of salt added could really bias the taste test?

[@justus1995]

Aldi brand are usually a safe bet. They tend to have decent quality stuff and crush the price by having the potential suppliers outbid each other in order to become Aldis brand. These are often massive international contracts, as Aldi usually only has a very select number of different suppliers for each product category. Also: Aldi has some shockingly good wine, award winning stuff, literally

[@jhippl]

im gonna make a bunch of them at 10in to toss in the freezer parbaked to replace the near 2.50 totinos party pizzas

[@supernoobsmith5718]

How much cheese by weight? I use 4oz per 10" iron pan pizza. And about 8oz for a 9x13 sheet pan. Two 10" or one 9x13" costs me about $5-6.

[@themeatballsock2962]

You should make a pizza with the most expensive version of the products you find at Walmart and Aldi and compare it to the $1 pizza

[@xpolentaedgex]

this spreasheet is available somewhere?

[@snidelywhiplash]

I've been buying Walmart's whole-milk mozzarella for a couple years now, but it seems like not every store carries it.

[@deananderson8186]

Looks better than the $20 pizzas you get nowadays

[@clashwithkeen]

All of these ingredients are exactly what I use from walmart except for the tomatoes. I get cento, furmanos or tuttorosso. imo it's the one ingredient I can't go with store brand because their tomatoes taste awful and metallic. The store brand is also the only whole milk low moisture mozzarella I can even find there. (when it's in stock) I use your NY style pizza spreadsheet but there's no diastatic malt powder in that recipe. Is that new?

[@AnthonyDibiaseIdeas]

Thank you very much.

[@outnumberedbbq]

Do you taste the basil in the Alta cucinas?

[@teklife]

so, what was the cheese mix after all? just the part skim low moisture great val mozz?

[@jimmyrrpage]

Do you have access to Muir Glen? I'd love your thoughts, *especially* on their fire-roasted tomatoes...

[@jacobsnellenberger860]

My pizza costs under $2.50 and I use grande mozz, 7/11 tomatoes, and king arthur bread flour. $2.50 for super high quality ingredients aint bad at all

[@nopenope1]

I did something like this a while ago, got below 1 Euro for such a pizza, but included the power cost as well. 1kwh was 30 Euro-Cent, now 40ish and the oven uses about 1kwh! I've did a quick math and today it won't be possible anymore to go below 1 Euro. But I'm wondering if that is really a weak and cheap flour with a 70% hydration! A flour below 10g protein is not that 'workable'. 70% is good, but the whole '70% low' is kind a snobby (high hydration snobby 🤣) IMO. I did go higher as well but it is not worth the effort or at least some where between 70 and 80% with normal flour you ran into inpractal issues for a daily thing. Edit: ok, after watching the rest of the vdeo, after that comment it's fine ;) And I do agree, the process esp. fermentation of the dough, a good oven or pizza stone/steel, etc. is at least as important or more important than the quality of the ingredients.

[@IzzyEatz]

Whole mozzarella @ Walmart been around for a while … they just don’t keep a lot of it in stock. Have you checked out restaurant depot?? For your pop ups

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Yeah, restaurant depot is usually where I get my cheese for my pop ups! They don't carry Grande, but I've found that I like Galbani and Belgoioso and even their generic "Supremo Italiano" (or something like that) brand is pretty good, and it's like $2.50 per pound.

[@IzzyEatz]

@@CharlieAndersonCooking since 2020. Mozzarella and tomato prices have gone way up

[@IzzyEatz]

Have you made the Prince St pizza yet? In new york

[@UTeewb]

Crazy to see how well Aldi did. Unfortunately they change their suppliers all the time so there's no guarantee it will be as good the next go around.

[@thaflybear]

a squeeze of that honey cost more than the pizza

[@EricVandenAkker]

Have you ever tried Kirkland (Costco store brand)?

[@miklymick5]

Man you going to Aldi remind me of my college days of having 10$ to my name and needing to buy stuff. The best was when they had milk that was $2.50 because it wasnt cow milk it was another animal but to me taste the same and cant tell with cereal.

[@andiarrohnds5163]

you seem to be the master of pizza. but remember, only the true master can cook his pizza within the fires of mount vesuvius upon the hundreds and hundreds of dammed souls from ancient pompeii

[@declanwhite]

honey on pizza is underrated

[@Donuts_random_stuff]

3:40 I didn’t know Aldi was in America as well, is that like the actual German Aldi or is that just an American shop named the same as Aldi. In Belgium I loved going there but after moving to Bulgaria we can’t find it here. Bulgaria is just 2500km from Belgium while America is across the ocean how is their Aldi over there but not here😢

[@bizznick444joe7]

To think salt in African ancient times were worth the same price as gold for one ounce is now just 0.64 dollars for a whole can.

[@dangriffinmusic]

Hey Charlie - 20:21 - are you cooking on the convection setting or just regular bake until you flip to broil? Thanks!!

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

My oven doesn’t have convection unfortunately so just regular!

[@dangriffinmusic]

@@CharlieAndersonCooking but if it did…would u use it??

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Although I would recommend baking on convection if you have it! I’ve used it before on a different oven and it worked even better.

[@ginchadope2171]

Every pizza biz owner should project revenue this way

[@gregordinary]

Is the price of the salt correct? It says $7.68 for the package in the spreadsheet. Should it have been $1.68?

[@chairmannow2297]

Goes to show how much the pizzerias that really cheap out must make $$, especially the ones who don't even use CF dough and cheap conveyor ovens. Sadly, here in Australia, that's par for the course with the vast majority of suburban (and city), non-neopolitan pizza joints, which accounts for the bulk of places here...

[@HappilyMundane]

I do this every week by going to the discount aisle and buying the cheapest frozen pizza I can find.

[@thesexman6337]

so its still like 20$.

[@InvertedFlight]

Thanks Charlie, you really inspired a new thought for me. What if made and froze 10 pizzas like the ones you made here. I would have a way better frozen pizza for a good price $10ish. I would love to see you master the art of the frozen pizza. If anyone can do it, its you m'freind.

[@thequantaleaper]

I would love to have that dough mastery calculator, but don't necessarily want to pay for the whole course :(

[@nicholaslandolina]

Freeze and brand

[@argentummolonlabe]

Awesome video! I love the juxtaposition of the absolute cheapest poor quality pizza with the most expensive highest quality honey ;)

[@LOLCoolJ]

If the spoons touch you have contamination.

[@cdubBbasshead]

Walmart actually does sell blocks of low moisture whole milk mozz in their brand but its terrible

[@Charlie59876]

"im not going to be buying industrial sized bags of ingredients" *procceeds to do exactly that*

[@benwilliams2487]

You are clearly delusional or have never actually cooked anything for yourself.

[@Yes-----]

I respect chasing the bag, but its kind of funny to me that the sponsor of the dollar pizza video is $80 honey

[@depressedasfook2893]

Wait wtf is a dough wisk? I literally have been making bread for 15 years (I'm 23) I even have a 4 yr old sourdough starter. Never heard of this?!?! How effective is it? I looked them up are worth it?!?!

[@ChineseWinnie]

spreadsheet link?

[@janovewaldner1]

Pizza is one of those few foods that is easy and cheap to make and yet people are willing to pay a lot for it.

[@ronnythompson9115]

The flour at Aldi was less than 1/2 the price of Walmart. Walmart was 1$ a pound. Aldi is 43 cents. Wow Aldi is better than Kroger. Some of the Aldi brand processed food does not taste good and has unhealthy ingredients. But to be fair all processed food is unhealthy. But Aldi is great for basic whole ingredients.

[@dgramsz2146]

Steelyard Walmart?

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Haha yep!

[@xGoodOldSmurfehx]

You are definitely being diplomatic and neutral here I have yet to buy a Great Value product that was not utterly inferior, artificial, industrially produced poisonous garbage And this is a lot coming from someone like me who doesnt usually mind going with generic brands

[@petelee2477]

Maybe it's just my unrefined palet but I really don't taste a difference between great value or name brand sugar, salt, or flour.

[@Nerdificationing]

Account for 10-20% ingredient wastage - e.g. if you use flour to dust a surface, it's noy available for pizza. Still great if under $2!!

[@sandhill9313]

I get where you are going with the title, but do we ever make other than ENTIRE pies? Just sounds funny, carry on with your great work 🙂

[@CharlieAndersonCooking]

Haha yeah I guess I just meant as opposed to a dollar slice or something

[@bestkitchenreviews6346]

Hey Bro, reach out to Dave Portnoy to review your pizza. If he does it, your channel will blow up!!