I don’t post many r
ecipes here on my author/book blog, but when I saw this awesome way to turn your own oven into a pizza on Lifehacker, I decided to republish my recipe for homemade pizza. I’m going to try the pizza oven hack this weekend. These recipes first appeared on my Blogger blog back in 2010. Here’s the original post:
I’ve been making this easy and delicious pizza ever since I adapted a recipe for the dough and sauce from a college roommate’s cookbook. If you have a bread machine, this homemade pizza is almost as fast as delivery and much much better. Since we make it often, I bought the big package of yeast from Costco and keep it in the fridge. What’s not to love about homemade pizza? And, please, don’t buy pre-made sauce. This is easy and MUCH better. Trust me.
Pizza Dough (makes 4 individual dinner-plate sized pizzas)
Dump into bread machine or bowl: 2-3/4 cups flour, 1 pkg of fast-rising yeast (or 2 t. yeast), dash salt.
In glass measuring cup, add 1 c. water (heated to 115-125 degrees), 2 t. olive oil, 1 t. honey.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and turn bread machine to the dough setting. You may need to add a little more flour if, after mixing, it’s really soft and sticky. (If doing by hand, mix together, knead on a floured board till smooth and satiny. Place dough into greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let raise till doubled.) When it’s ready, divide into four equal parts and roll each one out on a floured countertop. I use a rolling pin, but you can toss them if you want. Don’t worry–it doesn’t need to be perfect. Mine never are.
Pizza Sauce
Heat 1 T. olive oil and 1 clove of minced or chopped garlic in bottom of saucepan over medium heat. (Don’t let it go for more than 30-45 seconds or it’ll burn.)
Add 1-14 oz. can of tomato sauce (I’ve used premium organic brands and cheap store brands. Both work.)
1 t. dried basil
dash of salt
1/4 c. wine (red or white) or water
Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Uncover and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup of sauce. (This process is what differentiates a mediocre sauce from a great sauce.)
Assembly:
Sprinkle a little cornmeal on a cookie sheet to keep pizzas from sticking. Place rolled out dough onto cookie sheets and drizzle with about 1 T. olive oil. Use your fingers to spread it to the edges. Sprinkle with a little salt. (This is also a simple, but important step. It really elevates the flavor.) Now, add sauce and any toppings.
Bake in 450 degree for about 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is browned to your liking. Enjoy.
I also use the dough to make a Mediterranean-style pizza that can be cut into bite-sized pieces for an easy party appetizer. Make the dough above, but omit the sauce (or just use a small amount to help the ingredients stick). Top the pizza with chopped kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, feta cheese, and a sprinkle of dried oregano. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned.