Mom's Homemade Pizza

I think most people would agree that Pizza is one of life’s greatest pleasures..I know I could eat it every day and never get sick of it. Growing up, my mom made homemade pizza about once a month and it was always so exciting…we just loved it! This recipe was something her mom used to make on Fridays and all the kids in the neighborhood would beg to come over and eat it. This pizza has a nice crispy crust that is not too thin and not too thick and the sauce is slightly chunky which adds a nice freshness to the pizza. Top it with whatever you and your family likes! I love a combo of shredded and fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and or some sliced black olives or pepperoni! It is sure to become a tradition in your household as well!

Makes 3 pizzas that should feed about 6-8 people

Dough Ingredients-

• 3 Cans of Wondra Flour (tall skinny blue cans, you can find it in the baking isle by the other flours)

• 3 Packets of Dry Active Yeast

• Roughly 4 Cups of Warm Water

• 1 Tablespoon of White Granulated Sugar

• 1 Teaspoon Salt

• Canola or vegetable Oil

Pizza Sauce Ingredients-

• 3 Cans of Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes (our favorite brand for this is Red Pack)

• 4 Medium Cloves of Garlic

• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced (about the size of a baseball)

• Dash of Red Pepper Flakes

• 3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano

• Sugar (roughly 1 teaspoon, but you want to do this by taste to adjust the acidity of the tomatoes)

• Fresh Basil (about 1/4 cup)

  Pizza Toppings-

• Grated Parmegiano Reggiano Cheese

• Shredded mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, sautéed veggies..your choice!

• Fresh basil leaves

  
  

Steps-

Prepare the dough-

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup stir together the 3 packets of yeast, 4 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast blooms and gets foamy and puffed.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment (can also do this by hand with a bowl and a wooden spoon) stir together the wondra flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. With the mixer on medium/low speed, gradually pour in the yeast mixture a little at a time until the dough comes together. You want the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl and the dough to be moist but not sticky. It shouldn’t come off onto your hands when you touch it. If the dough is too sticky you can add a little more flour, if its too dry add a little water.

3. Once the dough is the right consistency remove it from the bowl and separate it into 3 equal size balls. Place the balls of dough on a lightly floured sheet tray and loosely cover it with plastic wrap. Cover the tray with blankets or towels and set it in a warm place to rise. Allow to rise for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to about 4 hours. While the dough is rising prepare the sauce.

Sauce Steps-

1. In a large pot such as a dutch oven, heat the 3 tablespoons of extra virigin olive oil on medium.low heat. Add the diced onion and red pepper flakes. Using the side of your chef’s knife, gently smash the peeled garlic cloves and add them to the pot.

2. Sweat the onions and garlic until the onions start to soften and become fragrant. Add the 3 cans of tomatoes. Allow everything to cook and soften for about 10-15 more minutes. When the tomatoes start to soften use kitchen scissors to chop up the tomatoes into smaller chunks. You can also use a potato masher to smash them however I like the scissors as it allows the sauce to be more chunky.

3. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt, a dash of sugar, the oregano and some freshly ground black pepper. Tear half of the basil leaves and add them to the sauce. Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes to an hour with the lid off. You want the flavors to really meld together.

4. Taste the sauce and add more salt and sugar as needed. Add the remaining torn basil leaves right at the very end.

Assembly-

1. Preheat your oven to 420F (if convection 405F will do!).

2. Prepare 3 rectangular baking pans (if you have black or dark colored metal pans those work best) by coating the bottoms generously with canola or vegetable oil. You really want the entire bottom of the pan coated.

3. Using your hands press one ball of the risen dough into one of the greased pans, flattening it out and pushing it to the edges of the pan being careful not to tear it. Some of the oil will seep onto the top of the dough, that is ok!

4. Using a slotted spoon, spread a layer of sauce onto the pizza leaving 1/2 inch of dough around the perimeter. Sprinkle parmigiana reggiano cheese on top of the sauce layer (just 2 or so tablespoons).

5. Bake the pizza for 25-35 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Remove the pizza from the oven and add your mozzarella cheese and any other toppings you prefer. Place the pizza back in the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

6. Right when the pizza comes out of the oven use a spatula to remove the pizza from the pan and slide it onto a cutting board. Removing it from the pan prevents it from getting soggy. Sprinkle the top with more basil leaves if you prefer, then cut and serve!