Ingredients
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Pizza Dough
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4 Cups FlourBread flour works best
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1 Tablespoon Yeast
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1 Teaspoon Sugar
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1.5 Cups Very Warm Water
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2 Teaspoons Salt
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4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
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Sauce
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1 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
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2 Onions
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2 Cloves Garlic
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.5 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
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Topping Ideas | Get Creative!
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24 Ounces Mozzarella Cheese
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Pepperoni
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Sliced Zucchini
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Sliced Canned Artichoke
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Sliced Black Olives
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Egg
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Shredded Parmesan Cheese
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Sliced Onion
Directions
- Make the Dough: About two hours before you want to eat, start making the dough. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl or a stand up mixer with a dough hook. Mix together and knead for 5-8 minutes until the dough has formed into a ball and is smooth. You may need to add more flour or water depending on how sticky or stiff your dough is. All in all, your goal is to have a smooth dough that is slightly tacky but is malleable. Once you have kneaded the dough, place in a large oiled bowl and turn a couple of times to coat the dough in oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1-2 hours punching it down once or twice to get all the bubbles out.
- Make the Sauce: While the dough is rising, make the sauce. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat a medium sized pot with a small amount of oil in the bottom. Once hot, add onion and garlic and stir continuously until they are starting to get soft. Add crushed tomatoes and stir, lowering heat to medium-low or low. Add crushed pepper and let the sauce simmer for 30-45 minutes to allow flavors to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper and then taste the sauce. Depending on the tomatoes, the flavor of the sauce can range from acidic to sweet. Depending on your taste, you may want to adjust the flavor. If it tastes acidic to you, add sugar 1 teaspoon at a time and taste after each addition to see how it tastes. If it tastes too sweet, you can add vinegar 1/2 teaspoon at a time and see how it tastes after each addition. All in all, you are looking for a sauce that isn’t too acidic or sweet but that has a good blend of flavors.
- Make the Pizzas: Now for the fun part! To get started, heat your oven to 500°. If you have one, place a pizza stone on the middle rack. If you do not have a pizza stone, you can alternatively bake your pizza on a sheet pan. While the oven is preheating, punch down your dough and get as many bubbles out as possible. Cut the dough into four even pieces and form into disks. Flatten each disk with a rolling pin to your desired thickness (at this point, you can show off to your friends and try tossing the dough in the air). Once the dough is thin enough, spread about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle your desired toppings evenly over the sauce, starting with cheese then working your way up. What is fun about making pizza at home is that everyone can try a different flavor of pizza if desired. Have fun with this step and get your creative juices flowing!
- Bake Pizza: If you are using a pizza stone, use a pizza paddle to transfer the pizza to the stone. If using a sheet pan simply place the pan into the oven. Bake the pizza for 8-12 minutes until the cheese is slightly browned and the entire bottom of the pizza is cooked and is slightly brown. The amount of time it takes to cook depends on how thick you made your dough.
Meal Prep Tip:
Pizza generally keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days depending on the toppings. If using vegetables, they tend to get soggy after about 24 hours. To store a cooked pizza, let cool completely then slice into pieces. Place pieces into a gallon sized storage bag and place in the fridge. To reheat, you can heat in the microwave for about 60 seconds or you can place in the oven at 350° for 5-6 minutes.
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