Not only was this the best TASTING pizza I've ever made, but it was also the EASIEST. I used
*THIS RECIPE* from King Arthur Flour, but altered it a bit.
This recipe is perfect for TWO people, and only takes about an hour from start to finish.
For the Dough:
*1 package Rapid Rise Instant Yeast
*3/4cup Warm Water
*1cup Bread Flour
*1cup All-Purpose Flour
*1t Salt
*Garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
*Pizza Seasoning or dried italian seasoning (for the dough)
*1T Olive Oil
Pizza Toppings:
*Pizza Sauce (or marinara)
*Shredded Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese
*Pepperoni
*Chopped Onions
*Chopped Red Pepper
*Sliced Banana Peppers
*Or any pizza toppings you like!
I don't like cheese, so half of the pizza is NO cheese.
1. Empty the yeast packet into a small bowl, and pour 3/4 Cup Warm Tap water over top of it. Give it just a small stir - not too much. Cover with plastic wrap and stick it in a warm area. I just put it outside in the shade, it was 90 degrees yesterday. Leave for 15 minutes.
2. In a LARGE bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, 1t garlic powder and 1t Pizza seasoning.
3. Make a pocket in the center of the flour mixture, and pour in your yeast/water mixture and 1T olive oil. Stir with a fork as much as you can. Then, flour your hands and start kneading the dough. You may need to add a bit more flour. For me, this dough was incredible easy to work with. After kneading for about 5 minutes, roll the dough in olive oil, place in bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Stick the dough in a warm place (I put it outside in the shade in 90 degree weather.) Let it rise for 1/2 hour.
4. After you dough has risen (it will double in size) Punch it down, and with floured hands, knead for another minute or two. Let your dough ball rest for about a minute.
5. Roll your dough out on a floured surface. Roll it so that it's about the same shape as the pan you're going to cook it in. I used a rectangular pan, so the dough looked like an oval before I transferred it to the pan.
6. Cover your pan in parchment paper ~or~ lightly cover with olive oil. Transfer your dough to your pan, and with your fingers, smooth the dough out to meet the edges of the pan. Make your crust as plump/full as you wish. I LOVE the crust so I Made mine kind of big. Keep in mind your dough will rise significantly when cooking.
7. Once your dough is in the pan to your liking, cover and put it in a warm place for 15 minutes.
8. While your dough is doing its final rise, you need to preheat your oven to 450 and start preparing your toppings.
9. After the dough has sit for 15 minutes, uncover and lightly brush the crust with olive oil. Sprinkle the crust with garlic powder, sesame seeds, italian seasoning, oregano, or any other seasonings you desire.
10. Before adding your toppings, you should prebake the crust for 5 minutes.
11. After 5 minutes, pull your crust out of the oven, and add your toppings as you desire. First sauce, then meat, then veggies, then cheese. ;c)
12. Cook pizza for 15 - 20 minutes. In my small oven it took the whole 20 minutes for the cheese to get good and browned.
The crust was soft, chewy, but crispy on the outside, the toppings and cheese were marvelously cooked and browned. I'm telling you people IT. . . WAS. . . AWESOME!!!
