August 15, 2009

Saturday Night Pizza

We've gone back and forth between making our own crust, buying the Pillsbury ready to go dough, picking up frozen, or ordering out.

The best is...okay I really like Pizza Hut and won't say that my pizza compares...but other than ordering out, making our own crust is the yummiest option. It is also the cheapest. I spend less than $10 for 3 pizzas, depending on toppings.

Cast of Characters:
Saturday Night Pizza
King Arthur's Whole White Wheat Flour (silver container), Garlic Salt, Olive Oil, Yeast, Honey, and Water (not pictured)

Step 1:
In a large bowl wisk 2T yeast, 2T honey, and 2 cups water.
Saturday Night Pizza
I prefer to buy my honey from local farmers, you can also substitute with brown sugar, I prefer the honey.

Let it sit on the counter to "proof" for about 5 min.

Step 2:
Saturday Night Pizza

Mix in 2 T olive oil, 1 1/2 t garlic salt, and flour. I start with 5 cups but I add more if needed until the dough isn't as sticky. It needs to be good and squashy, not too firm, but it shouldn't be goo either.

I start by mixing it in with a fork, but then I kneed it with my hands for about 5 min.

Step 3:
Saturday Night Pizza

Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for about 45 min to an hour. I usually clean up the kitchen at this point. I also vacuumed, looked for batteries for my (now dead) camera, and organized the Tupperware cabinet. Leave out the olive oil and flour, you'll still need it.

Step 4:
Saturday Night Pizza
I separate the dough into 3 portions (2 large, 1 small). Lighly oil your pans.

Generously flour the counter and rolling pin. Roll dough out into a circle with the rolling pin, then stretch it with your hands till it's the size and shape of the pans.

Saturday Night Pizza
Add your favorite sauce and toppings.

Step 5:
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 14 min until crust is golden and cheese is melted.
Saturday Night Pizza

The sun had gone down in the process of my baking so the color is off in the picture (lack of natural light). Trust me. It was del.ic.ious.

4 comments:

  1. YUM!!!! What kind of sauce do you use? The kids want to try making our own...I don't have any pizza pans (well, I have one with holes in it) will just a baking sheet work??

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  2. That looks yummy!!! :-) I love pizza.

    Michele, you can get pizza sauce at the store. Contandina is my favorite. I also realize I'm not Mandy and you're not asking me... lol. Sheet pans work too... that's what I use. :-)

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  3. Oh and to the sauce, we pretty much just use a can of cheap spaghetti sauce. Sometimes it's cheaper than a can of tomato sauce. I make it taste less like spaghetti by adding a bit of sugar and some extra seasonings: Italian herbs, garlic, onion, whatever you have.

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