If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, pizza would be a contender. After all, it pretty much has all your food groups covered. Well ok, so it may not be the best distribution of those food groups… The nice part about making pizza yourself is 1) it’s fun and 2) you can control what goes in it. Today’s recipes are for the basics: pizza sauce and dough. The toppings are up to you! Indulge with classic pepperoni or veg out with the works. I’m a big proponent of eating foods you enjoy balanced by an active lifestyle. So go run a mile, come back, and make pizza!
Pizza Basics
Ingredients
For the sauce (enough for 4 large pizzas)
- ~8 medium tomatoes-on-the-vine (36 oz.), diced
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 head of garlic, peeled
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
In a large pot, heat oil and garlic cloves till sizzling; then add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer, covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15 minutes. Let the sauce cool and jar it up for future pizza making convenience.
For the crust (enough for 1 large thin-crust 16″x11″ pizza)
- 300g (2 1/2 cups) flour
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup water, room temp
- 1 tsp yeast
Combine the water and yeast; let this mixture mingle. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together flour, oil, and salt. Using chopsticks, stir in the yeast mixture till you create a shaggy dough. Knead the dough by hand till soft and elastic. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour or till it has doubled in size.
Directions
- Generously flour a large cutting board. Begin stretching out the dough with a rolling pin and then transfer to using your fists.
- Top with sauce and all the pizza toppings your heart desires.
- Bake at 500F for 12-15 minutes till crust is golden.
Pancake Yancake 