Homemade Pizza Crust

It is so fun to make your own pizza, and with this easy crust recipe it can be ready in around 40 minutes. This weekend while visiting family we were in no hurry to get dinner on the table and so we decided to make homemade pizza for dinner. It was so fun and easy I would totally do it again. 

I like making my own pizza because I know it is free of nitrates and harsh preservatives. I made this recipe with my high school students while I was doing my practicum and helping out with a course called "Food and Healthy Living", so if my high school students could do it, so can you. I made a couple of my own adaptations with adding olive oil, corn meal, parmesan cheese and oregano just because that's my personal preference.

We like a crispy crust, and so I use an olive oil greased pan sprinkled with corn meal because it really gives the pizza a crunch. If you like a more fluffy softer crust just use flour on your pan and omit the olive oil and corn meal. The same goes for the pizza sauce, the recipe suggests 3 tablespoons, but you can add or subtract based on your own or your pizza eater's preference. You could also omit the sauce all together and use basil pesto and add chicken. 

 

Ingredients: 

Dough: 
2 Cups of Flour 
1 Cup of warm water 
1 Teaspoon sugar 
1 Tablespoon fast rising yeast 
1 Tablespoon of olive oil (a little more of the pan and crust)
1 Teaspoon salt 
1 Teaspoon of corn meal

Toppings:
Pizza Sauce (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon Oregano
1 tablespoon Parmeasan Cheese
1/2 mozzarella cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tomato thinly sliced 
Handful pitted black olives

Directions:

Add flour, sugar, yeast, salt to a large bowl and stir. Then add oil and warm water and stir. 

Knead with floured hands if needed (make sure your hands are covered in flour otherwise it will stick like you glue to your hands). If your dough feels too wet add a little more flour. Once your dough is shaped into a ball place it in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. (Leave for 20 minutes). 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

Meanwhile, prepare your veggies, and cheese.  

Spread olive oil all over your pan and then lightly sprinkle with corn meal.  (alternatively you could just spread the pizza dough out on a floured pan, it just depends on what kind of crust you like).

Starting from the center with floured fingers spread the dough out from the middle working your way to the edges of the pan. If you can't reach all the way to end don't force it because you will create tears and holes in your dough and your toppings will seem through. I use my fingers here to gently rub some olive oil and corn meal over the crust area of the pizza to make it crunchy (this is optional).

Spread sauce over the surface of the dough leaving a thin space around the edge for the crust. 

Next add the oregano, and Parmesan cheese over the sauce. Then add your mushrooms and what ever other veggies you want to add. I like to add a thin layer of cheese, and then add the tomatoes, and finally adding more mozzarella cheese to cover the entire pizza and its toppings. 

Finally lightly sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and oregano.  I gently pressed the cheese and toppings down with my finger tips to make it is even and blended. 

Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes and then let it cool for a few minutes before you cut slices because you'll cut all the cheese off if it's too hot.

Happy Monday Blog Readers!
Much love
Short Presents