our favorite homemade pizza…

Husband recently posted on facebook that he

has finally taken a liking to Abi’s pizza recipe to the point that I actually prefer it over going out…

which is HUGE for him.  When we first got married and I started making pizza for us, he wasn’t too keen on it and would try talk me into ordering Pizza Hut or Papa John’s on Friday nights instead.  But I kept on making pizza some weeks and it started growing on him, I think.  I also found a better pizza crust recipe than the one I started out using – which wasn’t a lot different, but we both like the new one tons better for some reason.  We are both pretty boring in our pizza tastes and usually just do a plain cheese pizza.  So I’ve been perfecting the dough and even recently starting using homemade sauce (which is the same one that is now our fave pasta sauce recipe – I previously posted about it here) to make it the best.  And last Saturday, husband said it was the best ever.  He said this as he quickly ate 4 slices…and 2 more for breakfast the next day.

abi & andy’s favorite pizza

Pioneer Woman’s Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

*Makes 2 crusts
1 t. active dry yeast
4 c. all-pupost flour
1 t. salt
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form half of the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl and let rise for a few hours until ready to bake pizza.  I put the other half of the dough in plastic wrap (with a little olive oil to coat like you did with the dough in the bowl) and put it in the freezer for the next time we want pizza.  I pull it out and put it in a bowl to defrost and rise all day while I’m at work.  Works out great!

Once the dough is risen to about double, I spread it out on our well-used pizza stone and I use some of the homemade tomato sauce to cover the dough.  (I usually make it for pasta earlier in the week and save part of it for the pizza).  This week, I put on some freshly torn pieces of basil and sprinkle on a bunch of mozzarella cheese.  I usually throw on a little oregano right before I put it in the preheated oven.  Cook for about 10 min. at 425 degrees if you like your pizza just barely cooked like we do – a few minutes longer if not.

And that’s it – not hard – but delicious!