Homemade Pizza

There is nothing better than homemade pizza. Since being married, my husband taught me how to make it (he is quite the chef, I know). His mom used to make it for the family all the time and now I make it at least once or twice a month. The weirdest part is, I don't like store bought pizza or pizza from a pizza shop, but I LOVE homemade pizza.

This recipe is so versatile. You can use any toppings that you like. Some people like it with a red sauce, some with a white. I am going to give you the recipe for the hearty one that we like and you can change everything from the toppings to the sauce so it becomes your favorite pizza.

Ingredients for the Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water (105 - 115 degrees)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

3- 4 1/2 cups flour (depending on your altitude and humidity)

Ingredients for the Toppings

Pizza sauce, can or jar

Sausage, cooked

Pepperoni

Hamburger meat, cooked

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 - 4 cups mozzarella, shredded (depending on how cheesy you like your pizza)

Directions for Pizza Dough

1. In a mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer with my dough hook) combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

2. Add salt and stir. Add 1/2 cups flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your fingers.

3. Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes (or until it has doubled in bulk).

4. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a large square (so it fits on your baking sheet) and place on the baking greased baking sheet.

5. Cover and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. 

Directions for the Toppings

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Spread the can or jar of pizza sauce onto the pizza dough.

4. Top with most of the cheese.

5. Place the pepperoni on the pizza (I like tons of toppings so I place them almost overlapping). Top with the cooked sausage and hamburger meat. Add the chopped peppers and onions.

6. Top with the remaining cheese (if you would like to season the crust of the pizza, now would be the time to do so).

7. Bake the pizza for about 18-22 minutes until the dough is cooked.

Alternative Pizza:  Another simple pizza that my sister-in-law shared with me was a chicken ranch pizza. Use a thing layer of ranch in place of the tomato pizza sauce. Top with mozzarella sauce and chicken. Bake just as you would the pizza above.