Pizza is the perfect dinner for a Friday night. It has endless options and can be a lot of fun to cook with a few friends. I stick pretty close to the crust recipe out of my Kitchenaid Cookbook (The Complete Kitchenaid Stand Mixer Cookbook). I've made a few alterations. As much as I love making pizza this particulars recipe is a little messy, so just be prepared! It is well worth it!
Crust:
1 1/3 c warm water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 c all purpose or bread flour
Combine water and sugar, sprinkle in yeast. Let stand 5-10 minutes. (If you're using a kitchen aid you'll want to attach your dough hook) Combine flour and salt and then stir in yeast mixture until a soft dough forms. Knead on low for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic adding additional flour 1 tbsp as needed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover to rise in a warm place 30 minutes. Punch down the dough, knead on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. Divide in half and pat into a flat disk and let rest 2-3 minutes.Gently stretch each disk into a 16 inch circle allowing it to rest if it becomes hard to stretch. Transfer onto a baking sheet. (I have doubled the recipe here, and just stretch it as much as you can. I usually leave mine 1/4'' thick. Be gentle with the dough and take your time trying not to tear it. Use the heel of your hand and start in the center slowly pressing out to the edges.)
Pizza Topping:
2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic Powder
Parmesan
4 cups of mozzerella
1 pint of pizza or spaghetti sauce (We can spaghetti sauce in pint jars specifically for pizza)
Additional Toppings as desired (Onions, peppers, jowl bacon, Italian sausage etc.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Brush olive oil over the crust sprinkle with minced garlic (or powder) this recipe calls for Rosemary, I typically substitute Parmesan cheese. Brush again to coat with oil. Bake 3-4 minutes until the crust is golden. Spread on your sauce as evenly as you can. Sprinkle with cheese, and add toppings. Through the summer we saute onions and peppers along with diced jowl bacon, or bacon ends. We also use pickled banana peppers, pepperoni, salami or slice a linked Italian sausage but you can get as creative as you want! I do recommend an extra sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake again for 3-4 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is melted.