Homemade Pizza

Here is another of my standard, frequently used recipies for any child who is reading this blog (or anyone else, for that matter):

Homemade Pizza

Makes 2 large (as in, jumbo) pizzas
Once you get the knack, you can make this pizza in one hour.

Pizza Dough

Ingredients: T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon
2 c. warm water
3 scant T yeast
2 t. sugar
2 t. salt
¼ c. oil
2 c. whole wheat flour
4 c white flour

In mixer place 2 cups warm water, add 3 scant T yeast, 2 scant t sugar. Mix. Add 2 t. salt, ¼ cup oil. Mix. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour, then 4 cuts while flour.

Dough should rest a couple minutes, but does not need to rise like regular bread dough. Cut dough into two halves. Spray counter and at the same time spray the two pizza pans (the kind of pan with holes in it works well) with cooking spray. Use rolling pin to roll dough out to just larger than the pizza pan. Flip half the dough over the rolling pin to help place it on the pan. Crimp the edges of the dough to make a nice fit.

Sauce:
Pour one 8oz can of tomato sauce directly on one pizza and spread evenly. Sprinkle the sauce lightly with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil.

Cover the whole thing with grated mozzarella cheese.

Add pepperoni, ham, chopped peppers, mushrooms, olives, etc. Finish by sprinkling with grated parmesan cheese.

Baking is the tricky part. Put pizza on low rack in cold oven then turn oven on at 450 degrees. If you try to bake two at once, switch them around and note that total baking time may take longer.

The goal is to get the crust crispy underneath without overbrowning the top. So you may need to see what timing and which rack level works best in your oven.