Homemade Pizza

Pizza is one of my all time favorite foods. Odds are, if it has dough, sauce, and cheese, I will LOVE it. My dad found and perfected a pizza dough recipe years ago and since then, it will always be my favorite pizza. It’s my family’s favorite meal — we always make it for birthday dinners and special occasions. I recently moved out on my own and any time I have house guests or dinner parties with my friends, I make my dad’s homemade pizza and everyone loves it!

Dough Ingredients:

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Packet Yeast

1 Tbs Honey

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 Cup Warm Water

After activating the yeast (combine the yeast packet with 1/4 cup warm water and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until it’s bubbling) combine all of the ingredients. I cover my kitchen table with flour and knead the dough until it’s in an even, smooth ball. You can add more warm water or flour if the consistency is off.

Once you’re done combining the ingredients, place the dough in a large glass bowl and set it on top of the stove with a wet towel covering the dough. At this time, I set my oven to 350 degrees so that the warmth allows the dough to rise faster. I use rapid rising yeast and my dough usually takes about 30 minutes to rise. My dad always says you want the dough to double in size, so check on it often and allow it to set for another 10-15 minutes if needed.

Once the dough has doubled in size, separate the dough ball into three smaller sections, knead accordingly, and place them back in the glass bowl to rise again. This takes another 25-30 minutes.

Finally, you’re ready to roll out your dough. I always flour my surface thoroughly and use my rolling pin to get the crust nice and thin. Make sure it’s even or it won’t cook evenly. I then pop the dough in the oven for 5-10 minutes before adding my ingredients. This makes it so the dough is crispier and not soggy. Flip the dough halfway through the 5-10 minutes, let it cool, and add your ingredients! Voila! The best ‘za you’ll EVER try!