Pizza is one of the simplest meals that will make everyone in the family smile.
When my kids were younger, they used to have Friday as a "pizza day", so we decided to keep that tradition.
This recipe is so simple and easy that you can mix all the ingredients by hand. You can make basic Margherita or can add any toppings of your choice.
Servings: 8 8-inch pizzas, or 4 11x8 inch flatbread pizzas
Ingredients:
For the Dough:
7 cups all purpose flour
2 2/3 cups blood temperature water
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
4 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings:
2 cups marinara sauce(red pasta sauce)
2 cups shredded mozarella
2 tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, sliced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
mozzarella cheese
crushed black pepper & salt
Instructions:
In a large bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, salt, Italian seasoning, and yeast. Be sure to add the ingredients on separate sides of the bowl, so the yeast doesn't deactivate.
Heat the water in a saucepan. Once the water is blood-temperature (see notes), add in the olive oil.
Slowly add a bit of the liquid into the flour. Bring the dough together with your hands or a spatula.
Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes to develop gluten. The dough shouldn't be dry, but it shouldn't be sticky either. It should be soft and smooth.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm spot in your kitchen for 12-18 hours.
After the dough has rested, gently turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, making sure not to knock out too much air.
Cut the dough into 6-8 equal parts.
Roll the dough into a round ball and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 450ºF (225ºC).
Dust a metal plate with semolina or flour. Stretch the dough onto the plate until you have formed a pie crust.
Spread marinara sauce onto the pizza dough. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese onto the sauce and the rest of the toppings. Sprinkle black pepper and salt lightly onto the pizza.
Bake the pizza in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the base is golden brown.
Repeat this process for the remaining dough. Any dough that isn't used can be refrigerated or frozen.
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