Pap Approved Pizza

Not that it takes a lot to make my father happy when you feed him....usually just food will do.  But even Alice liked the pizza I made on Sunday.  I used to think that homemade pizza crust was something that would be hard to do, so why bother when you could pick up a frozen one in the freezer case at Wally World. 

But if you make it at home, you can put as much or as little of what you like on it.  Pepperoni on a third, cheese only on two pieces, everything in the fridge on the rest.  And there aren't all the preservatives or anything yucky.

Plus, it is fun to play with dough.  I bought a Kitchen Aid mixer a couple years ago and that makes it easier but sometimes, it is so much fun to knead by hand.  Punching the dough takes out a lot of aggressions. 

Okay. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, put all this stuff in the bowl and set it on medium-low until everything comes together.  You will know.  It all just becomes a ball and sticks to the hook.  If you only have your hands....Put the flours, yeast and salt into a bowl and whisk together.  Add the olive oil and the water and stir with a spoon.  I prefer a long wooden spoon.  Makes me feel "rustic" and just seems to work better.  Then put the dough out onto the clean counter top that you have rubbed with just a big spoon of flour and knead.  That is push the dough with the heels of your hands then fold it over itself and push it again.  Just a couple of times.  Now, oil a glass or metal bowl with veggie oil or a nonstick spray. Shape the dough into a round ball and place in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm spot (on top of the stove) for one hour.  TA-DA!  Homemade pizza dough!

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (unbleached is nice if you have it)
1 1/4 cups semolina flour (this looks like fine cornmeal, comes in small bags and makes pasta too)
1 package of rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (use less - 3/4 tsp if all you have is table salt)
2 tbls olive oil
1 1/4 cup warm water (the temperature you would bathe the baby in)

Use it right away or put in an oiled storage bag for up to three days. Half this recipe makes a nice round 12 inch pizza.  Use the whole thing and make a rectangle on a cookie sheet.  One trick is to "strech" the dough in the air, letting it hang off your hands before you start shaping it on the pan.  Also, sprinkle a little of the semolina flour onto the pan before you put the dough on the pan. It won't stick.  "Pre-baking" the crust for about 10 minutes before you add the sauce and toppings makes sure everything is done the first couple times you bake homemade pizza.  Baking at 400 degrees is good. You can bake at 500 if your oven is clean but if you have any spills, you will get some smoke at 500 and then the smoke alarms go off....it's all bad! The cats run, the dogs howl, the neighbors open doors....

I will get you a good pizza sauce recipes next.  Have a great pizza day.