Homemade Pizza
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Homemade pizza does not have to be difficult. Especially with this no-cook pizza sauce, you can make your own thick or thin crust pizza at home to your liking. Add your own toppings or let guests make their own. |
Pizza Sauce and Dough Ingredients
Pizza Sauce
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
Pizza Dough
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of warm water
- 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
Homemade Pizza Directions
Source: The sauce and pizza dough recipes were from allrecipes.com.
Step 1. Ingredients needed for the dough: Flour, olive oil, salt, yeast, water and brown sugar.
Step 2. Ingredients needed for the homemade pizza sauce – tomato paste, water, olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, rosemary, and dried basil.
Step 3. To make the pizza sauce, mix together the can of tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1/3 cup olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well. Add the 2 crushed minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tablespoon basil, and 1/2 tablespoon oregano. Mix well and let stand several hours to let flavors blend together. This sauce is so easy I could not believe it myself. No cooking necessary, you are now ready to spread it on the dough!
Step 5. Mix in the 2 1/2 cups of flour. Mix with spatula and then turn out onto cleaned, floured surface.
Step 6. Continue kneading in more flour into the dough until the dough is no longer sticky. It should feel springy and bouncy to the touch. This will take about 5-10 minutes of good kneading.
Step 7. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rest in a warm place and let rise until it’s about double the size. Cover with a cloth.
Step 8. When the dough is about double (after about 1 hour), punch down the dough. Squeeze out the air to form a tight ball.
Step 9. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out.
Step 10. Place the ball on a floured surface and roll out into a large circle.
Step 11. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
Step 12. Add your own topping or let guests add their own – cheese, mushrooms, roasted peppers, sausage, pepperoni, ricotta, broccoli, eggplant, ham, pineapple, etc.
Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Take out of the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes. Cut and serve!
Note: I admit that this pizza did not look all that great in the picture. The next time we make this we will make sure to make one that the adults like and not just a pizza that just pleases the kids – cheese only! I can foresee in my crystal ball a pizza with roasted eggplant, spinach and even ricotta in my near future!
