Mmmmmm....Homemade Pizza Night!

Howdie...it's Friday.  Thank God.  Crazy week here.  We are ready to just chill out and enjoy our family time!  But first...we need to eat dinner!

Friday nights are family game night in our home.  We usually have a simple meal, and then jump into board games until it's bedtime for the kiddies.

Tonight's meal...chosen by the 4-year old, and approved by the 9-year old...homemade pizza!  Yeah!

I started the dough this afternoon.  It's such a simple recipe.  Warm water, yeast, a pinch of salt, dabble of olive oil, flour, and whatever else I feel like tossing in (i.e. garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, paprika - I always try to put in something to build the flavor profile).

Dough ball pre-rising.

Today, I went with just plain dough - primarily because I was running short on dough-rising time.  This, by the way, easily makes two pies.  Mold that yeasty dough into a nice ball, and place it in a large bowl that has been a) sprayed with PAM or b) brushed with your choice of oil.  Cover with damp paper towel or cloth, and let it rise, rise, rise in a warm spot.

After a few hours, it was perfect.  Give it a good punch down, and let it sit for another 10 minutes while you prep your pans.  I use extra virgin olive oil as a coating - adds a great flavor, and keeps the dough from sticking!  I also sprinkle on some cornmeal.  Adds another layer of texture to the pizza, and again, helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the pan during baking.

Look at that - perfectly punchy pizza dough!

Spread the dough out over the pan(s), and brush the dough LIGHTLY with extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle on fresh garlic, and whatever herbs you choose.  Tonight, I went with oregano and paprika on hubby's and mine, and just oregano on the kiddies'.

Prepped pans with punched dough in the background

All ready for the oven!!!

Our son helped me with the toppings...the kiddies prefer a red sauce on theirs, and he chose ham on his half the pie, while our daughter chose chopped carrots on hers (I know what you're thinking, but it's actually really good!).  My husband and I are having carrots and ham on our white pizza.  Our local store makes fresh mozzarella on site each day, so we topped it off with that delish cheese.

Preheat your oven to at least 375...and when you're ready, pop those pies in!  Bake til the cheese is gooey, and the crust sounds hollow when you tap it.  Take them out of the oven, and let them rest for a minute or two, so that the cheese sets.  Slice it up, set the table, thank the Lord for the food, and CHOW DOWN!   We are runding out tonight's meal with Seapak Butterfly Shrimp with homemade horseradish sauce (ketchup and horseradish, to taste), raspberries and strawberries.

The final products

I gotta go now...time to set the table, and I am SO winning Sorry tonight.  SO WINNING!!!  God bless, and we'll miss you, Mr. Spock.  Thanks for being logical in an illogical world.  RIP.


Pizza dough recipe:
1 package of yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups flour
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt (optional)
Herbs, spices (optional)

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in your mixer or a big bowl.  Blend in the flour, EVOO and optional ingredients until dough forms a sticky-ish ball.  Spray or brush another large bowl with PAM or your oil of choice.  Form dough into ball, and place into bowl.  Cover with damp (DAMP!!!) paper towels or cloth towel, and place in warmish area (back of your stove under the hood light is fine, or in the oven itself (TURNED OFF).  Let rise until you are ready to use and follow pizza directions above!