Home-baked Pizza

Kids wanted to make pizza, so I found this pizza recipe from a Better Home and Garden's Cook book that I bought many year ago. The topping is whatever I can find in the fridge - cheese, pepperoni, sausage, ham, salami, broccoli, spinach. You can get very creative.

Ingredients

【Pizza dough】 - for 2 thin crust 12" pizzas
All purpose flour - 2.5 to 3 cups
Active dry yeast - 2 and 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 cup, warm (120 to 130°F)
Oil - 2 TBSP
【Pizza sauce】
Tomato sauce - 1 can
Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Minced garlic - 1/2 tsp
Dried basil - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Can also add dried rosemary, olive oil, ground black pepper to taste
【Pizza topping】
Almost anything goes with pizza

Steps

1. First make pizza sauce, mix all pizza sauce ingredients in a bowl. Let it stand several hours to let flavors blend.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine 1.25 cup flour, the yeast, and salt; add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes). Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F.
5. Grease the pizza pan or large baking sheets.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into a circle. Transfer dough circle to prepared pans, build up edges slightly; prick dough with a fork. For thin-crust pizza, do not let rise. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown.

7. Spread pizza sauce onto hot crusts and top with desired meat, vegetable and cheese
Bake for 10 minuted or until bubbly.

8. Cut and serve hot.

Note: For pan pizza use 400°F