Homemade Pizza Dough

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Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday! Neither of our teams made it, so we were mostly there to hang with family and eat some tasty food!

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We brought hot wings, mini bundt cakes (those recipes are coming soon!) and a TON of mini pizzas. We used the pizza dough recipe we’ve used with these topping arrangements. Its our go to! Someone asked us for the recipe and we realized you’d have to read through a recipe with our toppings, and you may not like that!

So here we go… our pizza dough recipe unadulterated and on its own! We adapted this recipe from one of our favorite Italian cook books. Its super hearty and holds up to toppings well! Great for thin or thick crust!

By the way, we LOVE this granite rolling pin! I got it a few months ago and I’ve never had an easier time rolling out dough. It worked great for our pie dough as well, since you can stick it in the fridge to make it nice and cold, keeping the butter cool while you work it!

Homemade Pizza Dough

Bread, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Old Fashioned, Pizza, Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon salt

Instructions

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in one cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. Once combined, begin to add the remaining flour and water in small ammounts, alternating between the two and mixing completely between each addition. Add until you have the right consistancy – dough should be soft, but not sticky.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the surface several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push like before. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the surface and kneading. Repeat this process for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 teastpoon of olive oil. Place dough in the bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat the pizza pan you will be using with olive oil. Divide the dough (into 2 for 14″ pizzas, into 8 for 7″ mini pizzas). Wrap any extra dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into desired size circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough onto pizza pan. Trim or fold over and crimp edges, and pinch any holes closed as needed.
Top as desired. Place pizza in oven. Bake for 15-19 minutes for mini pizzas, or 19-25 minutes for large pizzas, rotating half way through. Cheese should be melted and dough should be crisp and lift up completely when one edge is lifted. Allow pizza to cool about 5 minutes before slicing.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Comment below to let us know!

November 11, 2019October 21, 2019

White Spinach & Chicken Pizza

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Though we’ve already explored this arena a bit, white sauce pizza is my wife’s favorite. So I mixed it up a little and made it slightly healthier.

That’s what adding veggies does, right? Make something indulgent and delicious good for you? That’s what we’re telling ourselves here anyway…

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The white sauce is what makes this pizza! Paired with the perfect crust and chicken and spinach, you can’t go wrong!

White Spinach & Chicken Pizza

Cheese, Chicken, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Pizza, Vegetable

White Spinach & Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS salt

White Pizza Sauce

2 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 large clove of garlic, minced
3 TBS flour
1 cup milk, plus 1/4 cup as needed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp dry oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Toppings

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp ground Dean Jacobs Spicy Garlic & Himalayan Pink Salt Seasoning
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 bunch spinach, rinsed, stems removed

Instructions

Make the Dough

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in 1 cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add 1 TBS of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. As you add the last of the lukewarm water (up to 1/2 cup) and flour (up to 1 1/4 cups), add them in small amounts, working them in gradually to get the right consistency – soft, but not sticky. *
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the counter several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push again. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the work surface and kneading. Repeat this procedure for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat the dough into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Lightly coat pizza pan with olive oil. Divide the dough by 2. Wrap extra dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a 14″ circle. Place dough onto pizza pan and pinch any holes in dough closed.

Making the Sauce

Heat butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, cooking until tender and fragrant – about 1 minute. Add in flour and stir until flour is lightly browned and onion is translucent – about 2-3 minutes.
Add 1 cup milk, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper into onion mixture, stirring continuously until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened slightly.
Remove from heat. Add additional milk as needed if sauce becomes too thick.

Making the Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken and Dean Jacobs spice into pan, stirring to coat chicken. Cook chicken through. Set aside to cool to handling temperature.
Spread warm white sauce over prepared pizza crust. Sprinkle over mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add prepared chicken and spinach, sprinkling over entire crust.
Place pizza into preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Check again after 10-15 minutes. Cheese should be melted and the dough should be crisp and all lift up with lifted by the edge.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Need pizza, but looking for something simpler? Check out our other flavors here!

November 7, 2019October 21, 2019

Cheese Pizza

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

We’ve been bombarding you with pizza, but its time to get simple. I have never met someone, child or adult, who didn’t love an extra cheesy pizza.

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And sure, you can go down the street and grab a $5 version, but you won’t get to choose your own cheeses. Not to mention this crust is so good! Soft, yet crisp at the same time!

Cheese Pizza

Cheese, Comfort Foods, Meals for a Crowd, Pizza, Vegetarian

Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS salt

Toppings

14 oz can of pizza sauce
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
3 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

Make the Dough

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in 1 cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add 1 TBS of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. As you add the last of the lukewarm water (up to 1/2 cup) and flour (up to 1 1/4 cups), add them in small amounts, working them in gradually to get the right consistency – soft, but not sticky. *
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the counter several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push again. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the work surface and kneading. Repeat this procedure for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat the dough into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Lightly coat pizza pan with olive oil. Divide the dough by 2. Wrap extra dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a 14″ circle. Place dough onto pizza pan and pinch any holes in dough closed.

Make the Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread pizza sauce over prepped dough evenly to taste, leaving about 1 inch of dough exposed around edge. Top with the cheeses, sprinkling evenly over sauce.
Place pizza in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Check again after another 10-15 minutes. Cheese should be melted and the dough should be crisp and all lift up with lifted by the edge.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Throwing a pizza party? Check out these other flavors to mix it up!

October 31, 2019October 21, 2019

Veggie Lovers Pizza

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Last week we posted our favorite Meat Lovers Pizza, but we know that isn’t everyone’s jam. If you have someone coming to the pizza party that doesn’t like meat, you’ll need this pizza on hand!

One of the best parts of veggie pizza is it isn’t heavy, but still hearty, and you can use your favorite combination of vegetables! You can also make this pizza last with the leftover veggies from the other pizzas you’ve made.

Veggie Lovers Pizza

Cheese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Pizza, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Veggie Lovers Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS salt

Toppings

14 oz can of pizza sauce
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
8 brown mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can olives, drained and sliced

Instructions

Make the Dough

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in 1 cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add 1 TBS of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. As you add the last of the lukewarm water (up to 1/2 cup) and flour (up to 1 1/4 cups), add them in small amounts, working them in gradually to get the right consistency – soft, but not sticky. *
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the counter several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push again. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the work surface and kneading. Repeat this procedure for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat the dough into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Lightly coat pizza pan with olive oil. Divide the dough by 2. Wrap extra dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a 14″ circle. Place dough onto pizza pan and pinch any holes in dough closed.

Make the Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread pizza sauce over prepped dough evenly to taste, leaving about 1 inch of dough exposed around edge. Top with mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, sprinkling evenly over sauce. Top with the vegetables, spreading it all out as evenly as possible over the pizza.
Place pizza in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Check again after another 10-15 minutes. Cheese should be melted and the dough should be crisp and all lift up with lifted by the edge.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Need more pizza ideas? Check out these other flavors we’ve made!

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October 24, 2019October 19, 2019

Meat Lovers Pizza

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Halloween parties are coming! When I was younger, my favorite part of Halloween parties (besides dressing up and getting TONS of candy that is) was eating some delicious greasy pizza paired with root beer someone’s mom had added dry ice to.

Of course as an adult, most of the time I’ll pass on the extra cheap, extra greasy pizza, and go for home made! Its easier than it seems, way cheaper, and you get a better quality product you can feel satisfied about.

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One of our favorite pizzas in the Cason household is the extra hearty, much beloved Meat Lovers pizza! The best part about Meat Lovers is you can smother it in your favorite kinds of meat and make it completely your own! We go towards a more traditional approach to it, but you can add whatever meat tickles your fancy!

Meat Lovers Pizza

Cheese, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Meat, Pizza, Splurge

Meat Lovers Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/4 cups flour
1 TBS + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBS salt

Toppings

14 oz can of Pizza sauce
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz Pepperoni
7 oz salami
7 oz Canadian bacon
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

Make the Dough

Dissolve the yeast completely in a large bowl by stirring it into 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Dissolve in 10 minutes or less. Once fully dissolved, add in 1 cup of the flour and mix thoroughly.
Continuing to stir, gradually add 1 TBS of olive oil, salt, 1/4 cup of lukewarm water, and 1 additional cup of flour. As you add the last of the lukewarm water (up to 1/2 cup) and flour (up to 1 1/4 cups), add them in small amounts, working them in gradually to get the right consistency – soft, but not sticky. *
Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a clean work surface. Pick up and slap down on the counter several times until it has stretched out to be about 10 inches long. Fold the dough over itself towards you, and then push away using the heel of your palm. Fold again and push again. Rotate the dough one quarter turn and repeat, slapping it down on the work surface and kneading. Repeat this procedure for up to 10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and silky. Pat the dough into a rounded shape.
Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen about 3 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Lightly coat pizza pan with olive oil. Divide the dough by 2. Wrap extra dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator if not using immediately. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a 14″ circle. Place dough onto pizza pan and pinch any holes in dough closed.

Make the Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread pizza sauce over prepped dough evenly to taste, leaving about 1 inch of dough exposed around edge. Top with mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, sprinkling evenly over sauce. Top with the meats, spreading it all out as evenly as possible over the pizza.
Place pizza in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan. Check again after another 10-15 minutes. Cheese should be melted and the dough should be crisp and all lift up with lifted by the edge.
Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Love this pizza, but need another flavor for your big pizza bash?! Check out our other pizzas here!