Homemade Pizza in about 30 minutes

When you live out in the woods as far as we do, making homemade pizza is a must.  If you live in town it is also a lot cheaper than delivery and cheaper and better than the frozen.  Get yourself a pizza or bread stone and make one with the kiddo's.  It's a lot easier than you think!

Here's how.  Put your pizza stone in the oven and preheat both to 450 degrees.  While your oven and stone are heating, mix your dough.

Ingredients: (makes two pizza crusts)
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 packets of active dry yeast (I use 4 1/2 teaspoons of the bulk) 
2 cups of warm water 
1 teaspoon of salt
5 cups of flour separated
1/3 cup oil
pizza sauce about 1/2 cup
favorite pizza toppings , we use Mozzarella and cheddar cheese, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and pepperoni 

1. In a large bowl mix together the sugar, yeast, warm water, salt and 2 cups of the flour.  This will make a goopy liquid dough.  Stir well and let this rest for 10 minutes.  While your goopy dough is resting, chop up your onions, peppers and mushrooms if using.

2. After the dough has rested, add the oil and the remaining 3 cups of flour and stir or get in there and mix it with your clean hands.  Turn the dough out onto a clean, dry surface that has been dusted with flour.  Knead vigorously for 2 minutes until it forms a springy, elastic dough. 

3. Divide dough into two equal pieces.  If you are not making two pizzas today. Wrap your other dough ball up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Use within a few days or make a pizza and freeze for a quick meal when you are pressed for time.

4. Roll your dough with a rolling pin if desired.  I prefer to use my well floured hands and pat out the dough pulling and stretching as needed.  Lift it up from your work area from time to time to make sure it is not sticking.  Add more flour underneath the dough if necessary.   If you get a tear in the dough, just pinch it back together to repair.

5. When your stone and oven has preheated to 450.  Carefully remove the hot stone from the oven and place it as near as possible to your prepared dough.  Lift dough and place dough onto the stone adjusting as needed.  Begin putting together your pizza by first adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pizza sauce.  Spread it out over the dough keeping it 1/2 inch to an inch or so away from the edge.

 Grandson and I put on the sauce, a layer of  shredded mozzarella cheese,  chopped green peppers, onions and mushrooms.  

We then added another thin layer of mozzarella and a small amount of cheddar

 Make lots of funny faces while you are making your "Elf Pizza"

 Add your meat on top.  In our grandson's case.... pepperoni.

Lots and...

 lots of pepperoni

 Put your creation into the hot oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.  Ours took 15.

 Remove from oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
  
Serve warm. Swoon. Eat More.  Fall into a pizza coma.

Repeat again tomorrow with the extra dough!