Homemade Pizza

I've been meaning to post this entry for awhile now and am now just getting around to posting it. The following recipe for homemade pizza can be altered in many ways to suit your tastes, and my boyfriend & I like this so much, its now our weekly Sunday dinner.

We usually tag-team this meal. He makes the crust while I make the sauce, & then we chop up toppings & make a cheesy garlic bread for breadsticks. If you are making this by yourself, I recommend that you make the sauce first, as it has to cook for awhile, & while the sauce is cooking, make the crust, & then chop up toppings. While the pizza is baking, fix the breadsticks so that they can go in the oven when the pizza is done.

Crust recipe:

1 pkg rapid rise yeast
1 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
2.5 c. flour (we use whole wheat flour)
rosemary, basil, & garlic to taste (I usually grab a few rosemary springs & basil leaves off of my plants & I think we use one clove of garlic)

In a large bowl, combine yeast and warm water & let sit for a few minutes. Stir in sugar, salt, olive oil. Add rosemary, basil, & garlic. Stir in flour, bit by bit, until dough reaches a thick consistency. Roll out dough on cookie sheet into crust (spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray before rolling out dough). If you want to be fancy, line the outside edges with olive oil & sprinkle some seasonings (garlic powder, italian seasoning, etc) around the edges.

Sauce:

Olive oil
Onions (diced)
Minced garlic
Salt/pepper
Basil (we usually add a little rosemary too)
Red wine (you will only need a few splashes...we usually drink the rest of the bottle w/ dinner)
3-4 med. tomatoes, diced

Add olive oil, onions, & garlic to pan; cook until onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper, basil, other herbs. Add wine & let cook for a couple of minutes to let the alcohol burn off. Add tomatoes. Reduce heat & simmer for 30 minutes or until a thick sauce forms.

Spread sauce onto crust, add toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crust edges are browned.

The toppings that we have used usually include any leftover onion & tomato, some mushrooms, & green pepper. We have also varied the cheeses, from a mix of shredded cheddar & mozzarella, to using shredded parmesan, asiago, manchego, & mozzarella cheeses. Use whichever cheese you like best & have just lying around.

For the cheesy garlic bread (no pictures of that, sorry!), we just use a loaf of chibatta bread, cut into a few slices, butter one side, sprinkle with garlic powder & italian seasoning, top with mozzarella cheese. Set on a cookie sheet covered in foil, broil in oven on high until cheese is lightly browned.


The pizza may be more effort than you are willing to put in (much easier with 2 people tackling the cooking)...but its so worth it. The pizza & breadsticks are good, & healthier than restaurant pizza (whole wheat crust, homemade sauce, etc). Try it, you won't be disappointed! :)