Homemade Pizza

I love Pizza. It's a food I never get tired of. There are so many variations........the sky is the limit. If you have kids who are fussy about trying new foods, pizza is a great way to encourage them to be a bit more adventurous in the food department. Just get them involved in the process.......let them make their own mini pizza. Chop up a variety of toppings (Veggies, cooked chicken, sliced meats, etc.) and allow them to go to it. Often times small kids will only ask for cheese on their pizza and refuse to eat anything else, so it always amazes me what they will put on their own pizza and happily eat when they are feeling in control of their choices.
I usually make my own crust. It's not that difficult or time consuming and is so delicious. I usually use a canned sauce unless I have any left over spaghetti sauce around, so do whatever works for you and is the easiest. As I said.......the sky is the limit when it comes to pizza......any kind of cooked meat, grilled chicken, veggies, seafood, sauces, cheeses, etc. are welcome additions to pizza. Be creative, personalize it and have fun!

Pizza Crust

Yield: Two 12-13 inch crusts

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 Cups of all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon of Flieschmann's Instant Quick Rise Yeast

1 teaspoon of Sugar

1 teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Cup of Olive or Vegetable Oil

1 Cup of lukewarm Water (100F)

Put 1 Cup of flour in a mixing bowl with the sugar and yeast. Stir to combine. Add warm water and mix. Add another cup of flour and the teaspoon of salt. Combine and dump out onto counter. Begin to mix by hand and knead, adding more flour as required to keep from sticking. Knead for three to five minutes, or until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

If you are making two pizza's just put dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double, approx. one hour.

If you are only making one pizza, divide the dough in half . Store half of the dough in a freezer bag in the freezer until ready to use. It can be thawed in the refrigerator over night when you are ready to use it. Take the other half of the dough and put in a greased bowl, covering and allowing to rise in a warm, draft free place until double in size.

Once dough has risen, spread evenly on a greased pizza pan. Top with sauce, cheese and toppings of choice.

Bake in a 375F oven for approx 30 minutes. Enjoy!!!