Homemade Pizza

I've always liked making my own pizza because its inexpensive and I know everything that goes into it (additives and calorie-wise). But it was a challenge finding a pizza crust recipe that Evan & I liked. I'm a New Yorker, so I can be pretty brutal when it comes to judging pizza.

I came across this simple recipe for a crust on AllRecipes.com and tweaked it to fit our tastes perfectly. I think when it comes to pizza sauce it's more "to each their own" but I included the basic sauce I use when I'm not using left-over slow cooker sauce.

Important notes:

• the bread flour is crucial!! All Purpose flour will make the crust much more "pastry" and light. You want a denser, crunchier crust that crisps up nicely in the oven
• I'd recommend investing in a pizza stone if you want great homemade pizza. They aren't too expensive. Our pizza stone was only $14.99 and it works great. I've got a lot of tips and thoughts on using a pizza stone, so check this post on pizza stones out before you start cookin'. 

Homemade Pizza

You'll Need:
For the crust -

• 1 packet (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 cups bread flour 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon basil
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano

For the sauce - 

• 2 cups tomato puree 
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• crushed red pepper flakes (to taste, we like things spicy around here!)
• salt, to taste

How To Do It:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water, stir and let stand for 10 minutes. Mixture should become creamy. 
2. Combine all ingredients, stir to make dough. Let stand loosely covered for atleast an hour. 
3. In saucepan, mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Then simmer on low heat for atleast 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Place pizza stone in cold oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees.
5. Turn dough on well-floured surface and work into circular shape. Top with your sauce and mozzerella cheese. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes on pre-heated stone.
7. Enjoy!

Going to try to get some pictures for you tonight, this pizza is on the menu!