Homemade Pizza!

Who doesn't love pizza?

Recently our lifegroup at church had to answer the question, "If you were about to be executed, what would you choose to be your last meal?"

My answer:  PIZZA!

I know I have the same answer as most 12 year olds, but I can't help it- I've always been a huge fan of pizza.  

I even love CiCi's.  (Did you just gasp?)  Please don't hold it against me.  I mean if I could I'd eat California Pizza Kitchen or Mellow Mushroom (check it out!) all the time, but I'm a stay at home mom on a very frugal budget.  

So in order to have pizza frequently we started making it at home.  We do it about once a week.  I found a super easy and tasty recipe for dough you can do in the food processor.  I don't have a Kitchenaid mixer, so the food processor is my best buddy when it comes to pizza dough.  

This recipe is taken from Emeril's site here.

You need: 

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour, plus more if necessary (start with 2.5 and add if too sticky)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1.  Put the water and yeast in the mixer and let sit for like 5 minutes to "proof".

2.  Add salt, oil, and flour.  

3.  Pulse the mixer until it forms a ball of dough.  Check stickiness, it should be soft and not too sticky.

4.  Remove from mixer and place on floured work surface.  Knead just a bit.

5.  Put dough in oiled bowl and coat dough ball with the oil.

6.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour. 

7.  Remove from bowl and form into your crusts.  I usually make about two. 

When I make this I usually do it in the morning or around lunch so it's ready at dinner time.

I toss on whatever ingredients I have in the fridge or pantry.  That time it looks like I had pepperoni, onions, red pepper, tomatoes, and some spinach.  This dough usually rises really nice, well depending on the type of yeast.  I bought the pizza dough "no rise" yeast the other day and wasn't too impressed.  

Making homemade pizza is also super fun to do with your kids.  I know my little man loves it. Although a lot of times he's not even hungry anymore when the pizza comes out of the oven because he filled his tummy up eating pinches of raw dough, cheese, pepperonis, and veggies. He'll even try to eat the flour and say it's so "dewicious".  

See.

He's a nut.

Give this recipe a try & put pizza on your menu this week too!

~Kristie