Pizza

I love pizza. I'm pretty sure I could eat it every day and not get sick of it. Living in Chicago has made me a Giordano's-deep-dish-pizza-fan-for-life, but my husband doesn't share my sentiments. The thinner the crust, the lesser the cheese, the better. We've arrived at a happy compromise, and we both agree that homemade pizza tastes the best...

I've tried many crust recipes, but this one is by far my favorite. Second to my love of pizza, is my love of bread. I used to think it was a hassle to make, but now it's become therapeutic. Especially the kneading & punching-down part. Thanks to my Aunt Verna, for teaching me how to properly take out my aggression on my dough. :)



Pizza Dough

2 c. hot water
2 Tbsp. yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. salt
7-8 c. flour

Combine yeast & hot water in mixing bowl. Add sugar & let set until foam begins to form on the top. Stir in milk & salt. Add flour; stir well. Knead until dough is no longer sticky, but still soft. Set aside in a greased bowl & cover with a damp cloth; allow to rise for about 30 min. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough - into thirds for large (10x15" baking pans) or fifths for small pizza pans - and roll out. Grease pans with olive oil. Sprinkle with corn flour (optional) & place dough on pans. Bake for about 15 min. Remove & top with pizza sauce, toppings, and cheese. Return to oven for another 15-20 minutes until crust is crispy & brown.

The kids each got to make their "own" pizza & choose their toppings. Noah was most excited about this, as he generally spends most of his meal picking toppings off his pizza! Unfortunately he thought it was his personal pan pizza & wasn't too keen on sharing what he had so painstakingly created. ;)