Instead of a bar/bat mitzvah party that resembles a wedding, do something that youths and their teenage friends will enjoy. Throw a pizza party! This type of celebration is interactive, original and fun.

Instead of a disc jockey urging everyone to dance, a pizza maven can teach the teens how to assemble the flatbread of our ancestors. Even though Neapolitan baker Raffaele Esposito is credited with inventing pizza pie in the 19th century, ancient

Israelites baked flat, unleavened bread in rustic mud ovens and then covered them with toppings.

Boys enjoy this activity as much as girls, and are often the more creative pizza makers because they’re not so worried about being perfect, says chef and food stylist Rory Trovato, who has held many a pizza making party for her children.

Author of the book, “Dishing with Style,” Trovato says pizza is very forgiving. Instead of predictably round pies, urge kids to form their dough into animals, stars, or whatever the young pizzaiolo wishes to create.

“When hosting a pizza party, organization is key,” says baker Peter Reinhart, author of “American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.” Have all the ingredients prepared in advance before you begin cooking.

If you want to make your pizza dough from scratch, assemble it the day before and divide it into balls big enough to make two individual pizzas. Refrigerate it overnight. Another option is to buy prepared pizza dough.

Have your pizza maven demonstrate how to roll out the dough, brush it with oil, and then top it with sauce and other ingredients.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS:
Pizza stone, wooden baker’s peel, a rimless baking tray or very wide spatula, long handled tong, roller style pizza cutter or large sharp knife, good cheese grater and a rolling pin. If making dough, you’ll need an electric mixer with a dough hook or a food processor.
THE TABLE:
Set one large table with a washable table cloth, the necessary tools, cheeses, bowls of sauces and toppings, and condiment oils. 
TIPS:
The oven should be preheated to 550 degrees 1 1/2 hours in advance. Before transferring pizzas to the oven, liberally flour the pizza peel. Keep pizzas loose on the peel so they will slide off easily onto the pizza stone. 
TOPPING IDEAS:
Thick tomato sauce, pesto sauce, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, gorgonzola or goat cheese, sautéed or caramelized onions and garlic, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed or roasted red, yellow, orange or green peppers, Kalamata olives (pits removed), anchovies, roasted purple or yellow potatoes, sun-dried or oven dried tomatoes, sautéed radicchio.

PIZZA PARTY RECIPES
In addition to classic Margherita pizzas (with tomato sauce, cheese and whole basil leaves), experiment with some alternative ideas like the following.


SMOKED SALMON PIZZA
6 ounces pizza dough
1 T. chili and garlic oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 T. dill cream (see separate recipe)
2 1/2 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
1 t. chopped fresh chives
 
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone on the middle rack of oven. On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll out dough into an 8-inch circle, with the outer edge a little thicker than the inner circle. Brush dough with oil and arrange onions over the pizza. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully remove pizza from oven; set on a firm surface. Spread dill cream over the inner circle and arrange slices of salmon so they cover entire pizza, slightly overlapping the inner border. Sprinkle chopped chives around the top. Using a pizza cutter or large sharp knife, cut into 4 or 6 slices and, if you like, spoon a little caviar in the center of each slice. Serve immediately. Makes one eight inch pizza.
— From “Wolfgang Puck’s Pizza, Pasta, and More” Random House, 2000.

DILL CREAM
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 T. minced shallots
2 T. chopped fresh dill leaves
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. freshly ground white pepper
 
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate covered and use as needed. This should keep well for up to a week.