Cooking together as a family with this wonderful recipe will have you laughing and having fun in no time. Making pizza from scratch is a fun experience and these tips can make this activity rewarding and memorable for everyone involved:
- Create a space like the kitchen or dining room table so everyone has enough elbow room and can gather as a group.
- Allow plenty of time to enjoy the experience without anyone having to rush, maybe 2-3 hours depending on how long it takes to let the dough rise. You will get faster at it but the first time takes a little longer.
- Offer a variety of healthy toppings so there is something for everyone.
- Have everyone wash their hands first.
- Prep all the toppings at one time into bowls.
- If you are using gluten-free (GF) flour, be sure to research the requirements for the product you are using. Some GF flour can be swapped 1:1 with all-purpose flour; others need additional time or ingredients for the recipe to be successful.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (455g) warm water
- 1 Tbsp (12g) sugar or honey
- 1 Tbsp (9g) active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 Tbsp (18g) salt
- 3 Tbsp (25g) olive oil (divided as needed, see directions)
- 5 1/2 to 6 cups (660g to 720g) Flour (Unbleached All-Purpose, Pizza Blend, or King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour); add enough to make a soft, smooth dough.
Sauce: Place the following ingredients into a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes.
- 24 ounces of tomato pureed – fresh, canned or frozen
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
Toppings: Cheese, goat cheese, cheese alternative, any and all veggies, meats, seafood, herbs, etc.
Preparation
- Dissolve the sugar or honey, yeast, salt and 1 Tbsp oil in the warm water.
- Add flour 1 cup at a time until you make a soft, smooth dough.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it’s smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Lightly grease a bowl, put in the dough, cover it and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours.
- Once it has risen, deflate the dough, and divide it into four pieces for medium-crust pizza or three pieces for thicker crusts.
- With the remaining oil, lightly grease 3-4 pizza pans or any round or rectangular baking sheet. Put one of the pieces of dough in the center of each pan and stretch it out starting at the center and working your way to the edges. Let the dough rest several times to relax it and make it more cooperative.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Put the pizzas together!
- Get out your toppings, which you’ve prepared ahead.
- Brush each crust with a bit of olive oil; spread sauce lightly or to preference over the surface, add your favorite toppings and top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.
- Bake the pizzas for 15 to 20 minutes, until they’re golden brown, the toppings are hot and bubbly, and the cheese is melted. Remove the pizzas from the oven.
- Transfer pizzas to a cooling rack, so their bottoms don’t get soggy.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes, slice and serve. A rolling pizza cutter is the perfect tool.