homemade pizza dough (+ toppings) recipe

so, we’ve always been devoted papa murphy’s pizza eaters. a number of things drove me to the point i’m at now, of making our own, from scratch pizza. yes, it’s a little more work, but it’s healthier, cheaper, more convenient (no, really, friday afternoons are C.R.A.Z.Y. during the school year and picking up a pizza wasn’t the easiest thing to do with kids in tow), and we like it better.

the base for this recipe came from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (a book that is interesting and useful, but I can’t really recommend it since I didn’t finish it after having my intelligence insulted a few too many times for not believing in macro-evolution, but that’s another story).  but, of course, i messed with it, pared it down a little, added some stuff, etc. to get it to the right amount of dough and the way we like it. 

here is MY recipe:

2 tsp. yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp. olive oil
2/3 tsp. salt
2 cups AP flour
1 cup w/w flour
several good shakes of garlic powder and italian seasoning (or the spices that are included in it that you like – basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage – or whatever of that you like/have).

dissolve the yeast in the warm water, mix in olive oil and salt. Pour into a large bowl. in a separate bowl, combine AP flour, w/w flour and spices, then pour into the bowl w/ the water mixture. mix well with spoon/hands until everything is combined and dough is smooth and of a good (not too sticky, not to dry) consistency. i sometimes find that I have to add a little extra water at this point. if you are new to making bread dough, it will take a little while to get this part down just right until you know when the dough is how you want it to be. if it’s too sticky, add some flour. too dry, add some water. just a tiny bit at a time.

when the dough is right, form a ball, place in a bowl, cover with a cloth and place someplace warm to rise (40-60 minutes). turn out on a lightly floured surface, knead some, stretch out and roll into whatever shape you will be making your pizza in.  i use either my pampered chef stoneware bar pan, or my round pizza pan.

top however you like. i really like trader joe’s pizza sauce, but would love to find a good recipe to make my own, for canning or freezing. anyone have one they love?

when your pizza is all assembled, bake at 425* for 15 minutes or a little longer. watch for when the cheese is melted and the crust is starting to look golden brown.  slice up and enjoy!

SO YUMMY!!!!