My guy called me while I was at work today to suggest a movie night as a bit of a time out. He was surprised that I suggested we have pizza with our movie. Now, before I go any further, let me say that my guy loves pizza. I know, I know, everyone loves pizza. But no one, and I mean no one loves pizza as much as my guy. Specifically, he likes my recipe for homemade pizza.
Making pizza is not as hard as people seem to think it is. I have several different methods for making the dough. Sometimes I use a stand mixer. Most of the time, I do it by hand. Sometimes, I put the dough in the oven, put the light on, and walk away for an hour. Other days I'm at work and I put the dough in the refrigerator and let it rise slowly, slowly, ever so s-l-o-w-l-y all day.
As for ingredients? Pizza dough is pretty tolerant. Sometimes I use whole wheat bread flour. Whole wheat bread flour gives the dough a chewy texture and a little bit of a different flavor. Some people don't like it. If we're having guests and we think they might not be into eating whole wheat crust, I'll use unbleached bread flour. The crust gets crisper when using unbleached bread flour. We like that a lot too.
Lately I've been using whole white wheat. Don't be afraid. It's called sweet wheat for a good reason. White wheat is a great option for people who don't like the taste of regular whole wheat, but would like to add more whole grains to their diet. The guy and I like it because it's a happy medium. The crust gets nice and crisp on the bottom, and is still chewy enough to be really satisfying.
For cheese I'm not really a fan of the pre-shredded stuff you get on the dairy aisle. We can't afford artisan cheeses, but spending a little bit more for decent cheese has taken my pizza from pretty good to great.
I use jarred pasta sauce for our pizza. Right now I don't have the know how to make my own sauce. I've heard that it isn't as difficult as I think it is. It's on my list of things to learn. Anyway, if you use the jarred stuff, buy one that you really like.
Ok, onto the recipe!
For your crust, you will need:
- 1/2 tsp. honey
- 1 1/8 tsp. active dry yeast
- 3/4 c. warm water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 2/3 c. flour
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, or until the yeast blooms and becomes fragrant.
Mix in 1 1/4 c. flour. Stir in the olive oil and salt.
Turn the dough onto a clean, well floured surface and knead until the dough is elastic and no longer sticky. (If you need more flour, add it. If using white wheat, you may need more than the recipe calls for.)
Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft free area until it doubles in size (about an hour).
After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to rest for a couple of minutes before rolling it out (or tossing it, however you do it at your house).
Preheat your oven to 425 F. If you are using a pizza stone, you may top and bake your pizza as soon as the oven is hot. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan and let the dough rise for about 15 minutes before you top and bake it.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese and crust are golden brown.
A couple of notes:
- If using a stand mixer do your thing with the yeast and sugar. Then, using the paddle attachment mix in the rest of the ingredients until they are well incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough starts to climb the hook and the dough looks satiny and elastic.
- Do not add the salt before the yeast, water, honey, and flour have been mixed together. Adding the salt too soon can cause your dough to not rise properly.
- If you're letting your dough rise in the fridge, give it all day. The flavor of dough that has risen in the refrigerator is different than dough that rises on the counter. It's different in a good way. Try it sometime.
- The type of sugar you use is limited only by what you have in your pantry. Don't like honey? Use brown sugar. Out of brown sugar? Use regular white sugar. Looking for something different? Try maple syrup or turbinado. As long as your yeast has something to eat you'll be fine.
Most of all enjoy your pizza. As for the guy and I, we'll be curled up on the couch watching a movie.
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