It's All About The Dough: Easy Homemade Pizza

Pizza is a staple food in my life. There is never a week that goes by where I don't indulge in a deliciously cheesy, loaded piece. Even when I'm attempting a diet or trying my hardest to eat healthy I find a way to justify it by piling on the arugula and calling it a salad. That's a thing, right?

Pizza is amazing because it is SO versatile. You can throw your favorite mixture of toppings/cheese together and in 15 minutes have your ideal slice of za. One of the issues I find with ordering pizza is that you never get exactly what you want. I love mine to be covered in copious amounts of cheese, as well as the toppings I choose (I'm a sucker for the onion/mushroom/green pepper combination). Even when I click the box for "extra toppings" there never seems to be enough! As far as ordering in a group, it's usually easiest to go with the basics: cheese, and pepperoni, but then there's always the one odd ball who insists we just have to try some pineapple/bacon/anchovy combination saying we'll all love it. I usually end up playing it safe and choosing plain cheese and leaving my high expectations (and tummy) feeling a little disappointed.

I set out to create an easy, fool-proof way to ensure my tummy would never be unsatisfied again. Making pizza in the comfort of your home is not only super cost-efficient, but it also allows you to eat your favorite kind of pizza, however weird that combination may be, any day of the week. This dough is so easy. You can whip it up any week night and make a delicious, customize-able dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of flour

• 1 cup warm water

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active yeast

• 1 tablespoons honey

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

1. Combine warm water (think warm bath water), active dry yeast packet, kosher salt and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the dough attachment, stir until just combined, and let it sit for 10 minutes. When you come back to your bowl, your mixture should have a bubbly foam on top which will indicate the yeast has been activated.

2. Turn your mixer on to the lowest speed as you gradually add all 2 1/2 cups of flour. As it is combining add olive oil, garlic powder and oregano and mix until combined. Allow mixture to beat on the lowest speed for 10 minutes. This works to knead the dough and continue to evenly combine ingredients.

3. While the dough is kneading, take approximately 1 Tbls. of olive oil and use it to coat a medium sized bowl. After the 10 minutes is up, the dough should be clinging to the dough hook. Take the dough from the mixer and place it in the oiled bowl. Cover tightly with Saran wrap and let it sit in a warm area for 1 hour to rise. I like to turn my oven onto the lowest temperature while the dough is kneading and once it is preheated, turn it off. Your dough should almost double in size.

4. After the hour is up and your dough has doubled in size, pull the dough from the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface area. Roll out the dough until it is a desired thickness. Transfer dough to a pizza stone or baking sheet. Roll up the edges of the dough to create a crust, and evenly spread out sauce of choice. Layer on the cheese as well as any toppings you would like. Once the over is preheated, cook for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.