Homemade Pizza

By KRed

This is a favorite because you can tailor the toppings to your favorites! When the kids were younger, I would make a more plain one for them, and a more full one for Jeff and I.

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 package of active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
• 1 c. warm water (105-115 degrees)(
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil (1.0)
• 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour or whole wheat flour (13.2)
• 1 can Contadina Pizza sauce (1/2 can per pizza - I freeze what's left in a ziploc bag.
• Cheese - Any kind you have (mozzarella, colby, Monterrey Jack)
• Toppings. I'm partial to veggies, so here are what I often make:
• Roast Vegetables: in cast iron skillet cook onions, celery, carrots, pepper in oil till soft.
• Spinach: Wash and chop fresh spinach, onion, pineapple, tomato.
• Traditional Veggie: Onion, gr. pepper, tomato
• Other ideas: any veggie in fridge - broccoli, mushrooms, olives
• Meat: ham, pepperoni, hamburger, sausage. As I said, I don't make many meat pizzas.

Preparation

Step 1

In glass measuring cup heat water in microwave for 33 seconds. Stir in yeast and let it soften and dissolve for a minute. Add sugar, salt, and oil.

In medium mixing bowl, measure the flour. Into the flour, stir in the water/yeast mixture with a fork and mix until it forms a dough with all the flour mixed in (about 20 strokes). Cover and let rest.

Gather your favorite toppings.

Back to crust:
Dump crust dough onto table and knead on a floured surface several times (10). This step is optimal but I find it makes a more tender crust. Let rest again for 5-10 minutes.

Using a buttered jelly roll pan (or any other pan) stretch dough using using your fingers and palm. Slowly stretch the dough so it doesn't tear, to cover the pan and raise the edges a little for a crust. Take care to not have any holes in the dough for the sauce to leak out and burn on the pan. Using a the back of a spoon, spread pizza sauce on the crust.

Add your toppings as thick as you want. The thicker the better. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. I find if you have good toppings, you don't need too much cheese.

Bake in middle of 425 degree oven for aprox 20-25 minutes. More with more toppings, less with light toppings. Cook till cheese is melted and just starting to brown taking care not to burn the underside of the crust.