Pizza Night! :)

I think I've mentioned before that I love pizza more than the average person.  If it wouldn't make me gain weight and was healthier, I could eat it every day.  I really wish it was a vegetable.  Not that it had vegetables, but that the pizza itself, was considered a vegetable.  ;)

Alas, that's not the case.

Tonight, though, was pizza night.  :)  Since we were dating, my hubby and I have made homemade pizzas.  I've tried many different recipes from using a ready-made crust, to a canned crust, french bread, and making it from scratch.  They're all good, but I've desperately wanted the perfect pizza.

I can't honestly say that I've reached that goal, but the one I make now is pretty good, if I may say so myself.  ;)

I found the crust recipe on allrecipes.com, which is my 'go-to' website for recipes the majority of the time.

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust

• 1 package of active dry yeast (I believe this equals 2 1/4 teaspoons, but you want want to double check that!)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour (It's a little better with bread flour, but regular flour tastes fine too.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

What I love about this recipe is that it's super easy and fast.  You don't have to wait an hour for the dough to rise, but it still has a really good texture.  The only problem I have with it is that it's a little bland, but I sometimes spice it up a little bit.  :)

This time, I added a little Italian Seasoning right to the crust mixture. 

Instead of using a rolling pin, I just pat it into a circle on the pan.  (Who wants another dirty dish to clean?)  ;) Then, I made a mixture of melted butter, garlic powder, and italian seasoning to brush over the entire crust before putting on the toppings.  (You might want to bake it a little bit before adding toppings if you prefer a 

crispier crust.)
  

Sauce:

I have found that a good and cheap brand of pizza sauce is good ol' Ragu Homemade Style.  It's not really spicy, but I think it tastes pretty good, and it only costs a little over a dollar.  :)  I also like the Boboli sauce as well, but that has a stronger taste than I prefer sometimes.  

Cheese:

I used a "Pizza Blend" for the cheese this time, but a lot of times I just use mozzarella with a little bit of cheddar, or whatever we have in the fridge, to give it a little extra flavor.  

M had some pizza as well, but of course, preferred ours over her own, although it was pretty much the same thing!  Stinker.  ;)

To make it prettier, and give it a little extra "oomph" (?) I sprinkled a little bit more of Italian Seasoning and Parmesan around the edge of the crust.

It turned out pretty tasty.  Again, I'm still not completely satisfied with it, so if I come across something better, I'll let y'all know.  But, for now at least, this is the best (easiest) recipe I've found. 

Anybody else have some good pizza tips??  If you do, then please share!  :)


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