homemade pizza

We are big homemade pizza fans over here. Well, pizza in general, but when I started making homemade dough a couple years ago, it won us over. I experimented with a few recipes in the beginning but have been making this particular one for a long time. I love the crust, a little crispy on the bottom but soft and chewy on the inside. I now make homemade pizza almost every weekend. We switch out the toppings, but bbq chicken is our favorite.

I realize you all probably have a recipe for this, but I thought I would share anyway...

Pizza Dough
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
1/2 t. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
3 1/2 c. flour (maybe a little more or a little less)

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes


2. Stir in the salt and olive oil. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour (should start to form a loose ball, so add more flour if needed)


3. Turn dough onto a well floured surface and knead in more flour till dough is no longer very sticky. Knead for a few minutes and form into a ball. Place dough into an oiled bowl (i just spray with cooking spray) and cover with plastic wrap or a cloth. Let rise till double (about 1-2 hours)
*Sometimes I will make the dough in the morning before work and just let proof all day in the fridge


4. After it has risen, punch the dough down and allow to rest for a few minutes. Then take the dough and stretch it onto desired pan. (I use a non stick pizza pan or a pizza stone)


5. Bake the crust in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the bottom is almost done. Add toppings and finish cooking, about 15 minutes
*I usually turn up the heat at this point



6. Eat!


**This dough also works really well on the grill. You can also use it to make calzones. To make whole wheat crust, substitute half of the white flour with whole wheat.