I LOVE pizza

Pizza. Yummy yummy pizza

We like pizza at my house.  I love it.  It is easy, quick and versatile.   I hate hate hate thick pizza dough.  It’s like eating bread with mushy stuff on the top.  I like thin crust pizza.  Or regular dough if I buy pizza.

I like to play around with recipes and find what tastes good or works best from several different recipes and make it my own.  I was able to do that with pizza dough.  I've created the best pizza dough for us.  I've had rave reviews from family and friends who've like it.  But suggest you try it and make it your own.

It’s a great pizza crust.  You can make it crunchy like a cracker or softer like bread.  It’s up to you how long you cook it.  I like it less crunchy than a cracker but definitely not soft.

Start with ¾ cup of water, a yeast packet (2 ¼ tsp) and a smidgen of sugar.  Less than ¼ tsp.  Just enough for the yeast to activate and eat.  Wait 10 minutes or so until the yeast is bubbly.

I like to kick up my dough with some spices.  Don’t worry it’s not too spicy.  Even young children have eaten this and not complained that it was too spicy or hot.  You can alter or skip this step. 

I add black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt.  I don't measure this step.  I just lightly sprinkle them over the top.  You can start with less than a 1/4 tsp and go from there.

Add 1 and ¾ cups flour.  Reserve a bit of the flour.  You’ll use more flour to knead and roll this out.   No need to add a bit at a time.  I toss it all in at once.

Knead the dough until it’s not sticky.  It’s ok if it is a little sticky.  You don’t want it to stick to your rolling surface.  

Roll out the dough.

Add corn meal to the pizza stone.  (You can use a cookie sheet if you don’t have a stone.  Preheat it and add corn mean like you would with the stone.)  My stone is well used.  

I fold the dough into sections to transfer it to the heated stone and then unfold on the stone.  (Don’t burn yourself).

Take a fork and punch holes over the entire crust.  Mine is hanging off the sides.  This is not an issue unless you are OCD.  If you are-then use the fork to fold it over and press down or cut the excess off.  I'm less concerned with the looks of the dough and almost never get a perfect circle.  (I should go find someone to teach me how to throw the dough and form a circle-but there are so many other things to do and learn...)

You don’t want bubbles (bubbles leave the dough really really crunchy).  Cook the dough.  I cook it until it’s slightly browned.   Again this is another area that you can change to your tastes.  (I typically cook the dough 3-5 minutes)

Take the cooked crust out of the oven.  Add tomato sauce.  I use a spaghetti sauce-whatever you have on hand or want to buy is fine.

Add whatever cheese and toppings you want.  We’re doing pepperoni today.

When you’ve got it loaded up-back in the oven until the cheese is melted.  (approximately 3 minutes)

Cut and enjoy.

I've made this pizza crust for a lot of different pizzas.  Buffalo chicken pizza, taco pizza, veggie galore, pepperoni, meat lovers or heart attack on a plate and there are so many more combinations out there.  You can control the calorie and fat content.  I don't do an egg wash around the edge-but you can if you want it to be pretty.  

Amy's awesome pizza recipe

3/4 cup water-warm

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1/4 tsp sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

cheese and toppings of choice.

Preheat oven and pizza stone at 500 degrees.  In large bowl add warm water, yeast and sugar.  Let sit until yeast activates (bubbly).  Add spices and flour.  Mix and knead.  Roll out.  shake corn meal onto pizza stone (so nothing sticks).  Put dough on stone and cook 3-5 minutes until slightly brown.  Take out of oven and add sauce and toppings.  Back in oven until cheese is melted.

Cut and enjoy!