Every Friday night my family has a pizza night. We make homemade pizzas and watch the latest Kids Movie on Netflix or Disney+. It’s adorable and the kids love it. But you don’t care about that. You came for the recipe. Scroll no further. Here you go.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 7 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup semolina flour
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
- Mozzerella Cheese Shredded
- Pepperoni
- Basil
- Whatever tickles your fancy
TOMATO SAUCE
- 28 oz canned whole tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Preparation
First things first, pour yourself a glass of wine. Ok, now you are ready.
- “Bloom” the yeast (sounds more complicated than it actually is). Sprinkle the sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes, until small bubbles form on the surface.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Make a hole in the middle and add olive oil and the yeast mixture. Using a spoon, mix until it starts to look like dough. It will be a little wonky and sticky and dry.
- Once the flour is mostly hydrated, remove from bowl and place the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 minutes. (You’re welcome from the free arm workout). The dough should be soft, smooth, and bouncy. Form the round shape.
- Grease a clean, large bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside, turning to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours. I usually make mine the night of and do the sauce while I let the dough rise.
- Preheat the oven between 450-500˚F. Place a pizza stone, heavy baking sheet (turn upside down so the surface is flat), or cast iron skillet in the oven.
- Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: Add the salt to the can of tomatoes and puree with a blender, or food processor, and puree until smooth. Boom. So easy.
- Back to the dough. Press down the dough and place it onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for another minute or so, then cut into 4 equal portions and shape into balls.
- Stretch and press the dough into a thin round. Make it thinner than you think it should be, as it will slightly shrink and puff up during baking.
- Sprinkle semolina onto an upside down baking sheet and place the stretched crust onto it. Add the sauce and ingredients of your choice.
- Slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are golden brown.
- Slice and serve hot and delicious.
- Enjoy!
