Homemade Pizza – Thin crust
Here is a recipe for delicious homemade pizza. I have included instructions on how to create yummy homemade sauce that pairs nicely with the crust. Go ahead and use your own favorite pizza sauce.
Also, you pick whatever toppings you and your family will devour! This is a great recipe to make with the kids as it is not difficult, and they can do so many things in this one!
Ingredients for Sauce:
Note: This recipe will make enough sauce for many pizzas just make sure to separate out the remaining and freeze it into different containers
3 16.8 oz cans crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic – minced
½ onion – minced
1-2 teaspoons basil (fresh or dried)
1-2 teaspoons oregano (fresh or dried)
1-2 teaspoons oregano (fresh or dried)
Ingredients for Crust:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 Teaspoon of white sugar
1 cup warm water
3 Tablespoons butter *
2 Teaspoons fresh garlic – minced *
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil*
2 Teaspoons fresh basil – minced*
Ingredients for Toppings: (Use whatever you want to make your perfect pizza!)
About 3-4 hours before you want to make your pizza
Create your pizza sauce
Preparation time: 5 Minutes
(In a medium to large size crock pot mix the ingredients for your sauce. Tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, oregano. Gently mix all the ingredients up and put the lid on. Cook on high for 2 hours, turn down to medium or low.
Prepare your dough
Preparation time: 5 Minutes
If you are using an electric mixer with a dough attachment, prepare your yeast right in the mixing bowl. If you are hand rolling your dough, put the yeast in a medium to large size bowl.
Pour the package of active dry yeast into the bowl and add 1 teaspoon of white sugar. Pour the warm water all over the yeast to begin activating it. I usually take my spoon and give a little mix to make sure all the yeast is wet. Make sure that your water temperate is not too hot (will kill the yeast) or too cold (will not activate the yeast).
Let the yeast rise for 5 minutes – should look frothy when you see it next.
Create your pizza crust
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
If you are adding butter and herbs to your crust, melt the butter in the microwave and then stir in your herbs.
Add 1 cup of flour to the yeast and start the mixer on low (so flour doesn’t fly everywhere!) Add 1 more cup of flour and let that mix. If you have decided to use additional flavoring, mix in the melted butter mixture. Add a tablespoon of flour and let the dough mix another minute or two.
When using the mixer, I stop it about this time and pull the dough ball off the dough hook and fold it in half with my hands a couple times. Put the ball back into the bowl, sprinkle with flour and drizzle a bit of olive oil on the dough ball and the sides of the ball.
Turn the mixer on again, medium speed and let it run for about 3 or 4 minutes. Should be a round sticky dough ball. If it is too sticky, sprinkle a little flour all over. When I say too sticky I mean portions of the dough ball are sticking to the sides like Spiderman’s web as the ball tumbles around.
After the dough ball is thoroughly mixed, stop the mixer and pull the dough off the hook. Place the dough ball in the bowl and drizzle olive oil around the sides of the bowl so there is a slight coating and the dough won’t stick as it rises.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Do not touch or move the bowl for 1 or 2 hours. Stir your pizza sauce. It is going to be delicious!!
Prepare your toppings
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Primary thing will be cheese, Mozzarella is the best for pizza of course, but what kind? I like to buy a block of mozzarella cheese and shred it. I do not like pre-shredded bagged cheese, think it tastes fake and looks dry to me.
Now prepare everything that you want veggies, more cheese, meats, olives etc.
We do the following: 1 pizza with ½ cheese ½ pepperoni and 1 pizza with cheese, pepperoni, sliced fresh mushrooms, red onion, black olives, green peppers and jalapenos
Create your pizza crust
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Preheat your oven to 450 F
Your dough should have at least doubled in size and when you pull it out of the bowl, the dough will deflate (which is cool!). Place the dough on a slightly floured counter. Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the dough to make sure it does not stick to your hands too much. Fold the dough in half and then in half again. Flatten out the dough a little and fold again. Fold as many times as you feel is good (I usually do it about 6 or 7 times).
Take your dough ball and separate into two even balls. Roll the first dough ball out in as close to a circle as you can and as evenly as possible. You can use your hands, use a drinking glass or a rolling pin. Whatever works for you! When you have a good size circle, stick the first pizza crust on your round pizza tray. I push the dough with my hands until I reach the edges and make them as even as possible. This is a thin pizza crust, crispy and light.
Take a tablespoon of olive oil and brush a light surface over the top of the crust. Grab a kitchen fork and stick it in the dough about 15-20 times all over. This helps to avoid large bubbles in the crust.
Place the crust in the oven for 15-17 minutes. I do 17 minutes because I am high altitude, you may need less time than that. Always start with the lower time and add more if needed. I also only bake one at a time.
Top that delicious crust now!
Pull the crust out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. After the crust has cooled some, give your delicious sauce a stir and spoon as much as you want on the crust. I swirl the sauce all around with just a thin layer going all the way to the very edge of the crust as my little guys don’t like “crust”.
Next, layer on the cheese as much as you want, and layer the rest of your toppings. When I do our “supreme” pizza, I will sprinkle a little cheese over the top to help melt the 25 lbs. of toppings together a little.
Stick the pizza in the over for 10 minutes. Turn the broiler on and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the pizza pan around and broil another 3 minutes the top will be toasted so nice!
I know all this writing can be a bit intimidating so I thought I would make an easy checklist for you in order of operations!
- Get your sauce started
- Rise your yeast
- Let your dough rise as you cut up/prepare your toppings
- Roll out your dough and bake your crusts
- Add your toppings
- Bake
- Enjoy your amazing pizza!
Important notes for you:
* Optional – these are add-ins (garlic, onion, basil, butter, etc.) and they are optional I have found they enhance the flavor. If you don’t like one or any of the ingredients with the *, you do not need to add. It is your creative design, so you decide what to add!
– I use yellow onion in this recipe because it pairs the best, but you can use whatever onion is your favorite
– My little guys like the taste of onions, but don’t like the consistency. I use my cheese grater and grate my garlic and onions into the sauce, works great!
Of course, fresh produce is always so much tastier but if all you have is dried, that will do great as well