Homemade Pizza

Pizza is my husband’s favorite food, and it is eaten quite regularly by our family. We have a loose tradition of family movie night on Fridays with pizza as our meal.

Many times we order in, or purchase take-n-bake pizzas from local grocery stores or chains. But if I have a little extra time and energy left on a Friday evening, I like to make homemade pizza.

You can purchase pre-made dough from some grocery stores. Some of our favorites are Trader Joe’s, Harris Teeter and our local bakery, Stick Boy Bread in Fuquay. But I have also discovered Fleischmann’s Pizza Crust Yeast. This magical stuff allows you to make a dough that requires no rising. You can keep it in your pantry and throw together a pizza in about an hour.

Mix the yeast into flour, a touch of sugar, salt, oil and warm water, and stir until combined. Slowly add more flour until a sticky dough forms. The next step is to knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Then press out onto a pizza pan. Violá! Homemade pizza dough!

Of course, the best part of the pizza is the sauce and I found a great, easy pizza sauce from another blogger at http://www.savingdollarsandsense.com. I tweaked it ever so slightly, of course.

All you need is a big can of crushed tomatoes, olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh basil and Italian seasoning. Heat the olive oil and add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

Next, add the tomatoes, salt and Italian seasoning and simmer for a few minutes. To top it off and add depth, add some fresh chopped basil.

Slow simmer the sauce a bit more, then allow to cool until your pizza dough is ready to be topped. You can even make it ahead of time, if you need, and store it in the fridge.

Drizzle the sauce over the dough and spread evenly with a spatula. Resist the urge to over-sauce, or your dough will be soggy. Top with cheese and toppings to your liking.

Our family is divided on pizza toppings, so each person gets to top one quarter of the pizza to their individual specifications.

I love veggies, and I like to sauté them in a pan with some butter before putting them on my pizza. Our girls like cheese pizza, with veggies and no meat. Mitch loves pepperoni, or salami. Another fun combination we all love is salami, green olive and banana pepper.

Place the pizza in the oven and bake until the dough is golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 12-14 minutes.

Once done, allow the pizza to rest a couple of minutes before cutting and serving. Serve some extra sauce on the side, if desired, and enjoy!