Homemade Pizzas

Ever want a delicious pizza at home? If you order delivery, it is just not the same as pulling the pizza out of a nice, hot oven.  And a frozen pizza, no matter how good it is supposed to be, just does not cut it for me.Then there is an issue about the toppings and the sauce, I have yet to get the right amount of sauce to everything else ratio, on a purchased pizza. There was a time when green olives were available for pizza toppings but I have not seen that on a menu for a long time. This recipe makes 2 8-inch pizzas that you can top with anything you like.

Dough
1 package of Dry Active Yeast
1/3 cup of warm water
3 1/4 cups of Flour
1/4 teaspoon of Dry Oregano
1/8 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 cup of Cold water
Additional Flour if needed
Cornmeal for pans

In a small bowl, combine yeast and warm water.  Set aside to allow the yeast to begin working.
Sift the rest of the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast with the warm water and stir.
Combine olive oil and cold water.  Do not mix.  Add to flour and mix thoroughly until a ball forms. Remove from the bowl and then Oil bowl. Return dough to the bowl and cover.  Let rise until double in bulk.  While the dough is rising, make the sauce.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for a few minutes.  Divide into 2 balls and work into discs about 8 inches in diameter.  I rolled mine and Chris pressed his by hand onto the pans. Before placing the dough onto the pan, be sure to put a small amount of cornmeal on the pan.

Sauce

1 14.5 ounce can of Diced Tomatos
1/2 medium Onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of Sepay Groves Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of dry Oregano
1 teaspoon of dry Tarragon
Splash of Wine or Beer

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan, add onions, then saute until the onions are clear.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until almost all of the liquid is cooked away.  Let cool.  Pour into a blender. Blend on high until tomato sauce is smooth.  Return to the pan.  Adjust the seasonings adding salt, if needed.  Ladle over dough.

Top with Provolone cheese.  Then put anything you like over the Provolone.  I put green olives, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and feta cheese on mine.  Chris put pineapple, canadian bacon, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and feta on his. Brush a little olive oil on the exposed edges of the dough. Let the topped dough rise for 20 minutes.  While the pizzas are rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Once the pizzas have risen, bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is done.

Enjoy!

Deloris