A homemade pizza... much better than anything out of a box

Simply the Best Pizza

This recipe utilizes a basic pizza dough that's my go-to recipe for anytime I want to make pizzas or even focaccia. It's so simple and takes around 10 minutes to make.

The tomato sauce is simple yet tasty and the flavor is elevated by using dried home-grown herbs from the garden. If you haven't already started an herb garden, I recommend that you do so considering how easy herbs are to grow and what a difference they make in your cooking.

The dough recipe makes two pizzas.  Pizza #2 turned out even better than the first! My dear Mr. C  moaned a little biting into it then asked, “How did you get the Canadians to give up their bacon?” He keeps me laughing....he gets away with  a lot doing that.  :-)

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients
4 cups (500g) bread flour (may substitute all purpose)
2 tsp (7g) fast action dried yeast
1 1/3 cups (320ml) lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions by hand:

• Add the yeast to the lukewarm water with 1/2 tsp sugar and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast and water and start to mix it together with a metal spoon. Add the olive oil and mix together until a rough dough forms. If it's too sticky you can gradually add a little more flour.
• Dust a clean work surface with a little flour and knead the dough for around 5-10 minutes until it's silky smooth and soft. If you lightly press your finger on the ball of dough it should spring back up easily. 
• Add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to a large clean bowl and rub all over until the bowl is coated. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the bowl, rub the top of the dough with a tiny amount of olive oil. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for at least 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.
  
  

Instructions using a mixer:
1.  Add to the bowl  the yeast, lukewarm water, sugar, flour, and salt and olive oil. and set aside  and mix the dough until a rough dough forms.  Continue  kneading  the dough for around 5-10 minutes longer until it's silky smooth and soft and forms into a ball. If you lightly press your finger on the ball of dough it should spring back up easily. 

2.  Add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to a large clean bowl and rub all over until the bowl is coated. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the bowl, rub the top of the dough with a tiny amount of olive oil. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for at least 2-3 hours or until doubled in size.

Tomato sauce

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 can tomatoes
1/2 c. red wine or water

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp sugar

Saute the onion until clear and translucent, then add the garlic, basil and oregano.  Saute a few minutes and then add remaining ingredients. You can then use a hand blender to puree the tomatoes to your taste. Simmer 10 minutes 

Shaping the pizza crust:

On a piece of floured parchment paper on top of a large cookie sheet or pizza pan, begin pressing out half the dough into a circle or a rectangle.  Use a bit of olive oil to help you smooth out and stretch the dough into the desired shape.  

Assembling the pizza:

Cover the dough with half of the the tomato sauce.  Cover with 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.  Place toppings on top of the cheese (meat, mushrooms, olives, sliced tomatoes, etc).  Sprinkle half of the mozzarella on the pizza.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the pizza.

Bake the pizza in a hot oven at 450 degrees until it begins to brown around the edges and the cheese has melted.

This dough make enough to make 2 large pizzas that serve 4-6 people.