Homemade Pizza

11:41 AM



I've always been afraid of making pizza. I think it's largely due to the fact that I am very picky about what I like on it, and making a bread dough from yeast sounds like a very intimidating challenge. Without a KitchenAid standard mixer, making a dough from scratch seemed even scarier! Like the pine nuts from my farfalle post, I left my packets of yeast in my pantry to stare me down until I finally decided to face my fears.


I made this pizza with my best friend Marie. She came all the way from Las Vegas to visit me. We had so much fun together visiting and exploring all sorts of places in Los Angeles and Irvine. However, I think one of the best parts about our visit was the little moments we shared in the kitchen. Marie and I like to get our hands a lil' dirty.





Pizza is something you can definitely get creative with. With this recipe, you can make 1 large pizza, 2 personal pizzas, or 4 mini pizzas. Marie worked at Papa John's in high school, so she was able to tap into her Papa John's skills for this little project. The both of us had a really great time making the pizzas. It was extremely exciting to see it come to life. I have made pizzas with my friend Diego before, but never with a conventional oven. This experience made me realize the ease of making delicious pizza in your traditional kitchen.


I think the pizzas we made were some of the best pizzas I've ever had. Hands down. Perhaps I'm biased. I think that one of the joys of cooking is the rewarding feeling that you get when you take the first bite into the food you worked so hard making! Marie and I both agreed that if things don't work out for us in school, we would open up a pizza shop. Yeah. Seriously. This pizza recipe is THAT good. I assure you, once you make your own pizza, you won't be as compelled to pick up the phone and order Domino's again. 

Homemade Pizza 
Yield: 1 10-12in. Pizza 

Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough:  
2-2 1/3 cups all purpose flour 
1 packet instant yeast 
1 1/2 tsp. sugar 
3/4 tsp. salt 
2 tbsp. olive oil 
3/4 cup warm water
Olive oil; for non-stick purposes 

For the Tomato Sauce: 
1 10 oz. can of tomato puree 
3 tbsp. olive oil 
1/2 onion; chopped 
2 garlic cloves; minced 
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. parsley 
Salt; to taste 
Pepper; to taste 
Olive Oil; drizzle

Instructions 
  1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. 
  2. Create a small well with the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the olive oil and warm water into the well. 
  3. Using a spatula/wooden spoon, incorporate the dry and wet ingredients together. 
  4. Slowly add another 1/2 cup of flour while mixing the ingredients. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of flour. It will get more and more difficult to incorporate. 
  5. Once it gets too difficult to stir with a spatula, use your hands to knead the dough. Add any remaining flour if you feel that the dough is too wet. 
  6. You will know when you're almost done kneading the dough if it doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. The dough should form into a smooth ball. 
  7. Drizzle the bowl with olive oil and coat the ball of dough with olive oil.
  8. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for at least 2 hours. 
  9. While you are waiting for the dough to proof, work on the tomato sauce. In a pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the olive oil is hot, add the garlic and onion. Sautee the garlic and onion until the garlic is golden and the onion is translucent and soft. 
  10. Add the can of tomato puree into the pot. Mix in the oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. 
  11. Allow the pot of tomato sauce to be heated on medium until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat once it reaches the simmering stage. Finish the sauce off with a drizzle of olive oil.
  12. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  13. Once the dough has risen, gently deflate it and remove from the bowl. On a floured surface, shape your pizza dough with your hands or a rolling pin. Create a crust by pinching the edges of the dough or folding it over
  14. Transfer the dough to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  15. With a fork, pierce the dough in the center to prevent any bubbling of the dough when baking the pizza. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil. 
  16. Add the tomato sauce and desired toppings*. 
  17. Place the pizza into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the toppings are golden brown. 
  18. Slice the pizza. Serve and enjoy! :) 
My Pizza Combinations: 
  • Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Pepperoni, Olives, Peppers, Mushrooms, Fresh Basil
  • Pesto Sauce, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Fresh Basil

Good Luck,
Em

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