Home-made Pizza Dough

The Long Weekend has finally arrived! Why not kick it off with some pizza, with homemade crust so good your family will think you had it delivered!

Everyone has their favorite take out pizza, but eating out with a family of 4 (or more) can be get expensive and since pizza is a favorite around my house, Fridays have unofficially become home-made pizza night. For a while we would go out and purchase one of those pizza kits, with the pre-made crust and sauce packet, and while that was okay for a while, I have been on the hunt for a decent pizza crust recipe. After some trial and error, and a little tweak here and there, I think I have cracked the code.

In my humble opinion, the crust makes or breaks a pizza. I am a texture person and overly soft and mushy doughs give me the willy's, in pizza crust or any type of bread situation.

This crust is chewy and crisp in all the right places, and best of all it is fast and easy to whip up. Using this recipe, you can have a hot, yummy pizza on the table faster than it will take to have it delivered, no tip required!

You start out with proofing some yeast. Mix one package of yeast with 1/2 cup of WARM water. I usually add a little honey or a pinch of sugar to help the yeast along. Simply mix it all together and set it aside to do its thing! Traditional yeast works best here but I have used quick rise yeast and even bread machine yeast in a pinch and this recipe has never let me down.

In a separate bowl, mix together the water, honey, oil, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Mix it well and then add the proofed yeast. Start adding the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is workable. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it for 10 minutes. It should be smooth and elastic-y.

That is literally all you have to do! Since this is a pizza crust, no resting time is required. Roll out the dough into whatever pizza shape you like and dock the dough with a fork to prevent any big steam bubbles from forming while the pizza bakes. Add your sauce and toppings (many of which come pre-packaged these days), and pop that baby into the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on your done-ness preference (we are well-done people over here).

In 30 minutes or less you will have a family favorite that is so tasty, FAST and EASY that you will turn Fridays into your family PIZZA NIGHT too!

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Home-Made Pizza Dough

1/2 cup warm water

1 package yeast (2.5 tsp)

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp honey or sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups All Purpose Flour

Mix yeast with warm water and set aside to proof. Meanwhile, mix together the water, sugar, oil salt and 1 cup of flour. Mix well. Add the proofed yeast mixture. Begin adding the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until your dough comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth and not longer sticky. Add four as needed. Roll out and dock with a fork before add your choice of sauces and toppings. Bake pizza in oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on bottom. Cool on cooling rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 medium pizza crusts.