It's Really So Easy!

Homemade pizza is one of my favorite meals to prepare. You can be so creative with the toppings you choose to use! Sometimes I use too many different types of cheese, and when I pull the pizza out of the oven, I’ll tell my sister, “Just kidding, we aren’t having pizza tonight… we’re having a cheese blob!” Maybe I subconsciously do this on purpose, because I like cheese so much!

You can change up the toppings to suit your tastebuds and the food you have on hand. If you want a more healthful pizza that doesn’t taste healthy, swap the tomato sauce for a cleverly pureed vegetable. For example, blanch some spinach and put it in the food processor with some olive oil, salt, & pepper, and you’ve got a sneakily healthful pizza sauce! Broccoli works well, too.

Anyway, this dough is surprisingly easy, and the results are always better than a store-bought pizza! I’ll admit, it does take a LONG time to make (probably around 3 hours altogether), but totally worth the wait! Often while I am waiting for the dough to rise, I will use that time to bake a batch of cookies or loaf bread to freeze for later.

SMOKED MOZZARELLA PIZZA
For the Dough:
1 tsp. active dry yeast
¼ tsp. sugar
½ C. warm water (100-120 degrees)
1 ½ C. flour
½ tsp. salt
Olive oil

1. In a medium bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. It is very important that your water is between 100-120 degrees… if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise. Let the yeast sugar water sit for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to foam and stink. Add the flour and salt. Mix until the dough comes together (you can do this by hand or in an electric mixer).

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about five minutes. Put a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a bowl and coat the bowl with the olive oil. Then put the dough into the oiled bowl and cover it with a damp dishcloth. Put the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size (about 2 hours).


For the Sauce & Pizza:
½ C. tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ C. chopped green onions
2 C. smoked mozzarella cheese, grated
1-2 C. fresh arugula

1. In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, garlic and honey. Then add the thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Set the sauce aside. During this time, chop the green onions and grate the cheese.
2. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle (or square or whatever) about 12 inches in diameter. Put the dough onto a pizza pan (or a big cookie sheet). Pour the sauce onto the pizza dough and spread it to cover the dough in a thin layer. Next sprinkle the chopped green onions on the dough, and then cover the pizza with the smoked mozzarella cheese.
3. Bake the dough in a preheated oven set to 475 degrees. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has begun to brown and the crust looks toasty. Take the pizza out of the oven and sprinkle fresh arugula on top. Then put the pizza back into the oven for about one minute more. When the arugula has begun to wilt, the pizza is done. Yum!