My dad and I have been attempting various methods of cooking homemade pizza pretty much every time I come home. Part of the problem is figuring out how long to cook the dough, and the question of using the oven or our grill, and the debate between a pizza stone, cookie sheet, cast iron skillet... It goes on.
We started out with store-bought dough, canned sauce, and a variety of cheese and toppings, but we've branched out to homemade dough and sauce. Finding the right dough recipe was part of the problem, but I'm no stranger to looking at and trying a thousand recipes for one thing (case in point: my previous searches for the best chocolate cake recipe and easy cinnamon rolls, and my ongoing searches for the perfect yellow cake recipe and a chocolate chip cookie that best fulfills my criteria).
I still have some pizza dough recipes I'd like to try - such as a sourdough base - but this one was good, and quick, and very simple. A handful of ingredients, only 15 minutes of rising, and a thin crust.
Also, I put herbs and garlic into the very dough of my pizzas, and that really made it even better.
Up first: pizza sauce. You can use store-bought sauce - we've used Trader Joe's sauce and a variety of other canned sauces - or you can make some yourself. It's quick and easy, so it doesn't even add much time to your wait for fresh pizza.
The next step is the dough, of course. You can make it in one bowl and with only a few ingredients; it comes together really quickly. Then you don't even have to let it rise at all. Just move on to kneading it for a a couple of minutes and then grab the rolling pin.
Sauce, cheese, some toppings, and pop it in the oven. The whole process is fairly quick, thanks to the simple dough and no-rising-needed yeast.
SAUCE
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 anchovies
4 gloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed into a puree
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of baking soda
Directions:
Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add anchovies to oil. Once anchovies begin to sizzle, add garlic, stir, and cook the anchovies and garlic for about a minute. Reduce the heat to very low, add oregano, and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Pour in tomatoes (crushed and pureed) and increase heat to medium. Stir and bring to simmer. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and small pinch of baking soda. Cook and let the sauce simmer for 35-40 minutes.
DOUGH
Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package of rapid rise yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Combine 2 cups of flour, package of yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add warm water and olive oil to dry mixture and stir in. Add additional remaining flour as needed; dough should be soft and not too sticky.
Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (for about 5 minutes). Cover dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare baking sheet, pizza stone, or cast iron skillet.
Divide dough into two halves. Roll dough and add sauce and toppings. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until done.
* For a crispier crust, roll out dough and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and add sauce and toppings, and then return to oven to cook for 8-10 minutes or until done.
* For garlic and herb dough, add about 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, and 1 clove minced garlic to the dry ingredients and mix together before adding liquids.
(sauce recipe adapted from FoodWishes. dough recipe adapted from a source I cannot recall...)