A pizza for you and a pizza for me.

"When the moon hits your eye like
 a big pizza pie - that's amore"
 

My love for pizza has only developed as I got to be an adult. We did not have pizza often at home, even with my half Italian father, we just didn't.  It was expensive to buy for a family of 12, and though we occasionally had the frozen variety, fresh pizza wasn't the norm in our house.  Pasta yes, pizza not so much.   I attribute my childhood deprivation  to my adulthood addiction to pizza.  I love all pizza, pizza is much like diamonds, even small/bad diamonds are still diamonds!  While I lived in Jersey I learned about "real" pizza, not pizza with ground beef on it. I know, know...judge not, but really?  And tomato pies, my dad used to talk about ALL the time.  So whether your a deep dish, thin crust, thick crust, or crispy crust, pizza eater, its ALL pizza!  Can't we just get along?!?!? (Thin crispy crust for me please)  If you choose to buy pizza dough, please buy it from your favorite pizzeria or bakery.  I guarantee they will sell you some!  Don't use that crummy roll out stuff.  Actually, if you use the crummy roll out stuff, I wont ever know, but you will cave, eventually it will happen and you will admit that you went terribly wrong.  Let's get this show started with the most important part first, the recipe!  

Easy Pizza Dough

3 cups of All Purpose Flour (may need a squee bit more)

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp. dry Italian seasoning

drizzle of olive oil

1 1/4 cups of Warm Water

1 packet  of Yeast

 

First things first.  Preheat your oven to 475.  Now, add the yeast to your warm water and set it aside until it becomes foamy on top.

 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment, mix together the flour, salt, sugar Italian seasoning and olive oil. Take the yeast and water mixture and add it to the flour mixture. If you don't have a standing mixer, stretch those fingers baby..gonna be some tired hands!

 

Mix until thoroughly  combined. Reduce speed to low, mix for 5 minutes.  The dough should be pulling away from the bowl and be one smooth mass. 

 

Divide the dough in two pieces and roll into a ball. Place each ball of dough into oiled bowls, brush the tops of the dough with a little oil to stop them from drying out. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place the dough into a nice, cozy, warm place.

 

If you know the proper technique you may press and stretch your dough, if you are a regular person, you can roll it out!  

 

I don't have huge pizza pans, so if I want a huge pizza, I use a huge cookie sheet, UPSIDE DOWN.  I put it in the oven while I am making the pizza so it gets really hot and makes a really crispy crust.   When my son was little, everyone creating their own pizza was a hit.  Keep it in mind for kids parties or sleepovers!  As a side note, Margherita pizza is my favorite.  Here is a picture of one my husband and I made along with our own homemade fresh mozzarella cheese!   Anyway, bake for 15-20 minutes!

Let me know what creative toppings you come up with, or what other things you find to make out of pizza dough!  Now go forth my friends.....MAKE PIZZA!

Your pizza pie lovin', pass the red pepper please, chefwannabe,

Chris

Adapted from: Laura In The Kitchen

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