PIZZA!

One of our favorite meals to make is pizza. We've tried dozens of methods, recipes and techniques. Now you can benefit from our experience because I'm sharing with your our favorite dough and sauce recipe.

Aunt Cathy's Pizza Dough
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/4 tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour + 3-4 more cups
3/4 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered milk
1/4 cup oil

Pour yeast into warm water, sprinkling with some of the sugar. Let rise for 5 minutes. Add rest of sugar, 2 cups of flour, salt, powdered milk and oil. Mix well and allow to raise for 15 minutes. Now add 3-4 more cups of flour. Knead until all flour is incorporated and pulls away from the sides of the mixer. Cover and allow to raise for 30 minutes.

Roll crust and pierce with fork. Add sauce and toppings. Bake 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees. Makes 3 medium size pizzas plus leftover dough for bread sticks. If you've got leftover dough, spray some PAM in a ziplock bag and toss the dough in the freezer to use another day.

Favorite Sauce

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion with 2-3 garlic cloves.

Add:
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
A few dashes of crushed red pepper flakes

Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Yummy marinara sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, or pizza sauce. I always allow my sauce to cool before using it in a lasagna or for pizza, so that it doesn't start melting the cheese prematurely.

Tips:

- Warm oven with pizza stone in place, if you use a stone (which I HIGHLY recommend). The stone needs to be very very hot before you bake your crust.
- Sprinkle stone with cornmeal so your crust doesn't stick.
- Use a flat edge cookie sheet or pizza paddle to move crust in and out of the oven. Do not remove stone from oven. Again, you want to keep it hot so that your crust gets a little crispy.
- Bake crust for a few minutes without sauce and toppings, just until it starts to get a bit golden around the edges. Then pull it out of the oven, add sauce and toppings. This way you won't end up with a doughy crust.
- After we add toppings, we like to sprinkle the pizza with Italian Seasoning.

Bread Sticks
- I like to roll the dough into another circle, spread melted butter on top and sprinkle with garlic salt. I bake it in a round shape, then use a pizza cutter to cut into strips.
- Variation I: instead of garlic salt, mix a dry ranch dressing mix with butter and spread onto the dough.
- Variatoin II: Omit garlic salt and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Very yummy!
- Variation III: You can grill the pizza dough for the most amazing breadsticks! Start baking the dough on a piece of foil (sprinkled with cornmeal) so that it doesn't fall through the grate. Once it's firm enough, transfer directly onto the grill.