How to Make a Pizza

This is the one thing I always have to make when the kids are home or we are there. The call is always for "Daddy made pizza". They all have favorite toppings and my son is milk allergic so his version is made with a non cows milk cheese in a separate area of the kitchen and baked in a separate oven or it is epipen and ER time.

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Easy Everyday Pizza Dough

Why oh why do people do everything they can to not make their own pizza dough?  They buy for the local pizza place... just buy the pizza and get it over with. They buy refrigerated roll out dough. They flatten biscuits. They buy precooked pieces of bread labeled pizza crust. I'm sure I'm missing some of other dodges. If you think of some, put them in the comments.

This is a recipe that I have been using almost 40 years. (Did I just let my age slip a little?) It was on the side of a Gold Metal Flour bag and I'm sure I have modified it some over the years but the principles are the same. Start with warm water. Add twice as much flour. Add some yeast, oil, salt and sugar. Keep it warm and let it double in size. Spread it out and let it set about 10 minutes if you want thicker crust. If you want thinner crust (like my 4 cheese pizza) make a smaller amount and spread it thin and don't let it set.

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4 Cheese White Pizza

I have been recently reminded that the two pizza recipes I use most often do not appear on this site. This one is for daughter #1... a 4 cheese white pizza. This has a great taste with the mixture of cheeses.

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Healthy Deep Dish Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza

Is there really a healthy or at least healthier pizza that it worth the work. Yep there is. I won't call this "Chicago Deep Pan Pizza" since I eliminated that layer of cheese at the bottom of the pan that I associate with Chicago pizza. But with one third of the calories and 94% less fat, this is a non-guilty treat.

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Kid Can Make Grilled Pizzas - A KISS Recipe

It's ideal for a kid pizza party. Kids love pizza but they're way picky about what is on them plus they like to help... if you call it that.  Well get the camera ready for pictures. Less than 30 minutes from start to eating. And oh so simple and good to boot.

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Grilled 4 Cheese Chicken Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

Ain't it beautiful. A modification of one of my oven recipes and a home run on the grill.

So I did my usual research and really didn't come up with any great inspiration. But I did learn a few pointer which I'll cover in a little while. But first what I wanted.

• Some whole wheat in the crust
• Not hard nor complicated (my instructions look a lot worse than it is)
• Adaptable to any topping so I could do our 4 cheese chicken thing.

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Masses of Pizza Dough

After the previous low-carb pizza recipe, I though I would post a very high carb recipe.

My home made pizza has been a family favorite for 30 plus years. With only two of us and keeping carbs low, the only time the pizza pans come out is during holidays. At both Thanksgivings and Christmas, the occasion called for "masses of pizza". With one of the family being severely milk allergic, it's easier and safer to just do it yourself.

Here is the dough recipe. I'm not allowed to make the sauce so you're on your own there. Topping are your choice also. 

Ingredients (for 5 large pizzas 16 inch round or 1/2 sheet size)
8 cups Water
Flour- you will need a lot. Most of a 10 lb bag
1 T salt
3 pack Quick rise yeast
4 T oil
1 1/2 T sugar
The amounts of salt, oil and sugar are approximate. I have never measured. 

Instructions:
1) In large bowl (our BIG monster cookie one) 8 cups of warm not hot water. I do “pre-warm” the bowl with hot water so it doesn’t cool everything off. Add three packs of quick rise yeast, the sugar, salt and oil. Let set for 5-10 minutes after mixing will.
2) Add flour. Start with 16 cups (2 cups per cup of water). Mix well. Add more flour to get right consistency. This should be not too stiff.
3) Let rise until double in size (about 45 minute). If you have time, punch down and let rise a second time. I almost never do this.
4) Cut into fifths and spread out and top.
5) Sauce and toppings your choice

I generally bake at 375-400 for approximately 25 minutes. This varies by oven, convection etc.
With our two ovens I do “rotate” the pizzas after 10-12 minutes by moving the bottom one to the top and rotating 180 degrees. The cheese only part browns faster and should be further down in the oven longer.

Notes: This was a one pizza recipe 35 years ago then went to a 2 pizza recipe. That was 3 cups of water, 1 pack yeast, 7+ cups of flour with some oil, salt and sugar.  Feel free to adjust salt, sugar and oil but I don't think it matters a lot.  The ratio of water to flour should be about 1 to 2 to start and add flour to get the right consistency which should not be to stiff. The yeast can vary some. For four pizzas at Thanksgivings, I used two packs and for 5 at Christmas I used 5. If you use sausage, you will need about  1/2 lb per pizza. Green pepper about 1/2 large per pizza. Pepperoni lots- you can never have to much pepperoni. I do think the deli sliced pepperoni is better than that in the little bags.

Quick Low-Carb Pizza

The conversion from our old high carb diet to low carb involved dealing with our pizza “addiction”. We were poor planners of meals so many last minute decisions leading to a lot of ordered pizza. Plus we liked it.  Many suggestions are floating around in the low-carb community. Hamburger crusts- very disgusting, cream cheese/ egg concoctions with many steps that are highly prized by the inventors and followers, etc. You are getting the point that pizza just won’t be the same but we can make it something good for what it is.

For the crust, we now use Flatout Flat Bread. At only 6 net carb for a large single size pizza, it tastes good, is cheap, available at our local Meijer’s and seems to last forever in the fridge. We did use low carb tortillas but they are thinner and a little harder to use.

With a little planning, this can go real quick. Tonight I got home at 6 pm and we were eating fresh homemade pizza by 6:20.

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