We love pizza at our house, and homemade pizza is a quick, budget friendly and easy dinner that I can always count on everyone eating…even my picky four year old!  The great thing about this recipe is that you can make several pizza crusts ahead of time and freeze them to use when you are ready! This is great on those nights when you just don’t feel like coming up with a plan for dinner…which if you are like me is most nights

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast (F Bread Machine Yeast works great or use one packet of dry yeast)
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 cup of hot water
• 3 1/4 cups white flour (to make whole wheat crust substitute 2 cups of the white flour with whole wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• pizza sauce, cheese, toppings of your choice
• Extra flour to use while rolling the dough

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Add hot water and sugar to mixing bowl.  Stir until sugar disolves.  Add yeast and allow to rest for five minutes until the yeast is bubbly.  If yeast does not bubble then your yeast is not active.  Repeat the steps again until your yeast foams as shown below.

While you are waiting for the yeast to foam, mix together the flour, salt, and olive oil. 

Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and mix well.  If you have a Kitchen Aid attach the dough kneading attatchment and mix for five minutes.  You can also knead the dough by hand.

This is what the dough looks like after kneading.  It should be springy and smooth.  It should not stick to your fingers.  If it does you can add additional flour 1T. at a time and mix for another minute.  Repeat this process until the dough is smooth and springy. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel and allow the dough to rise for about one hour.  If you are pressed for time you can set the covered bowl on top of a warm oven to rise.  The dough will have doubled in size when it is ready. (I didn’t get a very good photo of this but trust me it doubles, LOL!)

Punch the dough down and divide into two sections.  This recipe will make enough for one large pizza and one small pizza or two medium pizzas (divide the dough according to the size of pans you have).  Flour your work surface and rolling pin.

Roll to 1/4 inch thickness for medium thick crust.

Once you have the dough rolled to the desired thickness and shape, place it onto an ungreased pizza pan or cookie sheet.   Pierce the dough surface several times with a fork to prevent the dough from getting air bubbles while it cooks. 

Place the pizza dough in the oven and bake for five minutes.  Remove from oven and add desired toppings.  ***Note:  If you are freezing your crusts for use at a later time then do not add toppings. Allow the crust to cool and wrap in plastic wrap and then again in tin foil.  Place in your freezer for up to three months.  When ready to use remove from freezer, add toppings and bake at 425 degrees until cheese melts and crust is golden brown.****

Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

Yummmm! 

Now all you need is a good movie and you will have the makings of a great family night!