Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Homemade Pizza ~ Crust and All!


"Easy as pie"...
or so the saying goes!
More on that another day perhaps.

But for today...
I want to share with you my favourite
pizza crust recipe.

Do you ever buy the premade crusts
for ease of operation
and fuss-free preparation?

Have you ever added a frozen pizza
to your cart at the grocery store?
If so, this post is for you.

Don't feel bad...I've done it too!
But, it isn't necessary...
this pizza recipe is ~

Oh. So. Easy.

Pizza Crust ~
from scratch.
Quick and painless...
I promise! :)


One thing I like about this dough is it's quick.
Really, it is!
The secret is in the yeast.
This recipe calls for *instant* yeast,
and doesn't require a *rising* time ~
you just let it *rest* for ten minutes
before rolling it out.

P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N.

It's a great place to begin if you've never made bread.
Won't you give it a try?
Please?


~ The Recipe ~
~ Dough for One Pizza ~
FYI ~ I make two large pans (double this recipe)
for our family of six
**Recipe courtesy of my Sister-in-Love**

2 Cups flour (divided)
1 Tbsp Instant Yeast
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
3/4 cup Warm Water

Mix together 1 cup flour,
yeast, salt and sugar
in a large bowl.
Stir in water.
Knead in as much of the remaining 1 cup of flour
as is needed to make a soft and not too sticky dough.
This will take about 5 minutes of kneading.
Let rest on counter for 10 minutes.
Roll dough out to fit your pizza pan,
use a light dusting of flour on the counter to keep
the dough from sticking.
Press into prepared pan.
(I use parchment paper,
but if you don't have it, grease the pan)

Just a little note ~ I don't have pizza pans,
I use cookie sheets...
they work just fine. :)

Once your pizza is assembled,
you bake it for 20 to 25 minutes at 400* F ~
Let rest in pan for 5 minutes before cutting.

Now...how to assemble a pizza?
This is the fun part!
Almost anything goes.


Make it simple or make it fancy.
Pizza is very versatile.


Gather together your toppings.
Mozzarella cheese ~ shredded, of course.
Pizza Sauce or some sort of tomato base.
Pineapple tidbits ~ drained.
Sliced pepperoni or other pizza meat
(You can even use scramble fried
ground beef with chopped onions)
Chopped red, green or yellow peppers
Italian Seasoning for garnishing

Other ideas ~
chopped sun-dried tomatoes,
chopped artichoke hearts (really!),
chopped onions,
chopped jalpeno peppers (for some kick),
etc....


The trick to get a soggy-less pizza is to not overdo the toppings.
Ask me how I know. LOL!

Spread a very thin layer of your pizza sauce on the unbaked crust.
Layer the meat over the sauce.
Sprinkle a handful of chopped ingredients over top ~
if you are using pineapple, do NOT put it on yet!
Sprinkle a large handful of mozzarella cheese over all.
Pineapple tidbits (well drained) if you are using them,
would go on now...on top of the cheese.
Sprinkle with Italian seasoning (if desired).

Bake as indicated above.
Slice and enjoy!


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