Perfect Pizza Pie

So sorry that it's been so long since I blogged!!! I baked so many delicious things for Easter, but in the craziness, I totally forgot to take pictures and notes... So, that was a waste. Then, it was a two week road trip around the western United States. (I know, such a hard life...)

Finally, I got back home and wanted to start baking. I found some new recipes to try, but I didn't find them pleasing - definitely not blog-worthy. So, there's been a dry spell, but today I have one of my favorite recipes for you: pizza dough and the recipe to make a perfect pizza! With the hubby being vegan, it's sometimes hard for us to find recipes that we can mutually enjoy. Making pizza, though, is perfect because we get to customize our own pies. I prefer a 'plain pizza' topped with homemade sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a few scattered onions. The hubs enjoys any assortment of veggies. Hawaiian pizza with sauce, ham, and crushed pineapple is also delicious. (Believe it or not). It's a fun way to make dinner and great when friends are over, too. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough Recipe

1 2/3 cups warm (but not hot) water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons raw sugar (or white if that's all you have)

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1.) Combine water, oil, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add in flour and yeast and knead until smooth (about 10 minutes).

2.) Cover bowl, place in warm area, and let dough rest until it doubles in size (approximately 1 hour).

Alternatively, you can put the ingredients into your bread machine and place it on the 'dough' cycle (which is what I do :) ).

Perfect Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 large can crushed organic tomatoes (I prefer the Tree of Life brand)

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings (a mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sweet basil)

1 teaspoon (or more!) fresh chopped or granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.) Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust spices accordingly. (Sometimes adding a little sugar helps with the acidity).

Crust Enhancing Oil

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh chopped or granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings (a mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sweet basil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.) Place all in a small bowl and mix. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow oil to soak up the flavors.

Making The Pizza

1.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If you are using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven (or work according to its instructions).

2.) Now that the dough has risen, transfer it to a large surface where you can easily roll it out - a counter top or board works well. Gently separate the dough into 4 pieces. Lightly flour your surface and roll out each piece into a circle, roughly 1/4" thick. (I highly recommend a French rolling pin for this task). You want the dough to be thin, but not so thin that it will rip as you transfer it to your pizza pan or stone.

3.) Transfer one of your rolled out pieces of dough to your pizza pan or pizza stone. We use Martha Stewart's 13" pizza pan and love it, but some people swear by pizza stones. Fold over any excess dough to create the crust. I like very little crust, so I try to make a smaller circle than my pan, and then only fold over about 1/2".

4.) Place the dough in the oven for five minutes. This first baking allows the dough to bake enough so that when you add the sauce it doesn't make the dough all soupy/soggy.

5.) Take the pie out of the oven. Brush the Crust Enhancing Oil along the crust edge. Take roughly 3/4 cup of pizza sauce and fill the center of the pizza pie with it. (More or less to your liking). Top with your favorite toppings!

6.) Place the pizza back in the oven for about 7-8 minutes until the crust starts to become golden and your cheese (if you're using it) is melted. The bottom of the crust should be crispy.

7.) Similarly bake the other 3 pizza dough crusts.

8.) Enjoy!