Pizza!

Ok ladies. I feel I must preface this entry by explaining a few things. First of all, this pizza is really yummy. You need to try it. Secondly, it is WAY easier than the super-long recipe may suggest. The dough literally takes 5 minutes or less to mix up, and the sauce is just a can of tomatoes with a couple of things added and you simmer it for 10-15 minutes. When I plan on making this for dinner, I spend about 15 minutes at 3:00 getting the dough and sauce together. Then I'm pretty much done except for waiting time. Once you get the dough on the pans, rising for the last time, you can get any toppings ready (grate the cheese, chop stuff up, whatever). Once you're done with that, you have your pizza in about 15 minutes. So total working time is right around a half hour. It is fast, it is easy, and it is deeeeelicious.

Crust:
1 ½ cup plus 2 T. all purpose flour
1 tsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2/3 liquid cup room temp. water
2 T. plus 2 tsp. olive oil

Whisk together flour, yeast and sugar. Add salt and whisk again. Pour in water and stir just until it forms a ball, about 20 seconds. Pour the olive oil into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Add dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover tightly and let rise for one hour. Place a baking stone or upside-down baking sheet on lowest oven shelf and preheat oven to 475° at least 1/2 hour before baking. After rising, divide dough in half. Place each half on a lightly oiled cookie sheet (use some of the oil in the measuring cup), and form into a flat round. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Flatten dough and press each piece into a 10-inch round. Let rise for 30 to 40 minutes or until puffy. Set baking sheet on hot pizza stone (or baking sheet) and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings.(see ideas below) Bake for another 5 minutes.

Helpful hints: After making dough, it can rise for 30 minutes on counter and then sit in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours. Remove dough 1 hour before you want to put it into the oven.

Dough rounds can be frozen after the first 5 minute baking time. Thaw and top pizzas with toppings and then bake in a thoroughly preheated oven for remaining 5 minutes.


Sauce:
1 cup (8 oz) canned crushed tomatoes, with their juices, OR peeled, seeded and chopped ripe tomatoes
1 T. olive oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
¼ tsp. hot pepper flakes (I usually halve this amount)
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced to about ¾ cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Taste for seasoning and cool. Can leave sauce chunky or process in blender or food processor to make smooth. Can double or triple recipe and freeze extra for later.



Toppings:
For each 10-inch pizza, use half the sauce from above recipe, and ¾ to 1 cup (3 to 4 oz.) mozzarella cheese. Top with favorite toppings, and then sprinkle parmesan cheese over all before putting in oven. Our favorite toppings include:

Hawaiian: Canadian bacon and pineapple
Gourmet Veggie: canned artichoke hearts, chopped fresh tomatoes, sliced green onions and mushrooms
Meat: pepperoni, sausage, olives and green pepper
BBQ chicken: Use Bullseye barbecue sauce instead of the pizza sauce, top with sliced grilled chicken and thinly sliced red onion

For “make your own pizza night”, I usually divide the dough into quarters instead of halves and make each piece into a 7-inch circle (two to a cookie sheet). Bake for the 5 minutes, then transfer crusts to a cooling rack where the kids can choose from prepared toppings to make their own concoction. It goes really quickly and the kids LOVE it!