Pizza Night!

I'm updating this post, because Saturday Pizza Night has become quite the event in our house these days!  In addition to making my dough, I have started to stretch my own mozzarella cheese (I'll post that later, but you can find great video tutorials online) and make own sauce.  My girls LOVE pizza night, although they still prefer the store-bought cheese, leaving more of the fresh for my husband and I.  :)  By making a batch-and-a-half of this dough recipe and 1 batch of sauce, I can get 4 small personal pizzas for my girls (which they "decorate" themselves), and a 14" for us.   Then there is a third leftover, which I leave in the fridge until Sunday afternoon and we make another pizza for dinner that night.  (just to give you an idea of the quantities it will all yield)

Pizza Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. (or packet) of yeast
1 1/8 cups room-temperature water
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Toss it all in your mixer bowl, and (with the kneading hook attachment) let it go at a speed 1 for about 2 minutes, then at 2-3 for another 30 seconds.  Finish it out with a minute of hand kneading to make sure it's well-mixed.  Let it rise is a greased bowl for about and hour and a half.  After you top it, bake it at 375 for about 20-25 minutes.

I LOVE my sauce recipe, because it's basic and versatile.  I can make it 20 minutes before it goes in the oven, or add more water and let it simmer all afternoon for the best flavor.

Pizza Sauce
6 oz. Tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Vinegar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Dried Basil (use fresh if/when you have it!)
1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Minced garlic (I usually add a bit more)
For fast prep add 1 1/2 cups water, for a few hours of simmering add 2 1/2 cups water.
Stir it all together in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and reduce to simmer.  I cover mine.

There is NOTHING like home-made pizza.