comfort foodFrom the kitchen of Janet Cuddigan

Here’s a fun fact: The biggest day for pizza sales in the U.S. is the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  After turkey and leftover turkey, it seems we are all ready for a change. Instead of standing in line at a pizza parlor, why not make your own pizza at home?  Here’s an easy-to-make recipe for pizza dough that doesn’t make you wait for the dough to rise. You just mix it and allow it to rest for 5 minutes for a soft chewy crust.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 ½ cups bread flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

pizzaDirections:

Place warm water in a bowl; add yeast and sugar. Mix and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add flour, oil, and salt to the yeast mixture; beat until smooth. You can do this by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to make it easier.

Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a 12-inch circle.

Transfer to the greased pizza pan.

Spread crust with sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips:

You can use all-purpose flour, but bread flour makes a superior crust. If you have a pizza stone, dust it with cornmeal and use it instead of a greased pizza pan.

 

Adapted from allrecipes.com