Homemade Pizza

My cousins stayed with us for the weekend recently and we made homemade pizza.  We are very close with my cousins’ family and I grew up watching them when they were just babies.  As they get older it is a little harder to find inexpensive ways to entertain them but I find that keeping it simple provides us opportunity to just hang out and laugh.  Homemade pizza is a staple at our house.  Making it at home saves us money and can be relatively healthy while still keeping everybody happy.  I usually split up the dough into personal size portions so that everyone can make their own pizza with their own choice of toppings.  What kid {or adult} doesn’t love that! Bread Maker Pizza Dough

1 c water

3/4 t honey

1 1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t extra virgin olive oil

2 2/3 c bread flour (I get mine in the bulk food section at Winco)

1/2 c plus 1 T whole wheat flour (again bulk food section is cheaper)

1 3/4 t yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine (I get active in the bulk food section)

Place all ingredients, in order listed, in the bread pan.  Cook on dough program. 

 

Pizza must haves:

-turkey pepperoni: thank you for guilt free pepperoni pizza!

-grilled chicken

-tomatoes, bell peppers, olives

-bbq chicken pizza: top the pizza with bbq sauce instead of pizza sauce and coat the chicken in bbq sauce

-baking stone: love my Pampered Chef one!

-soy mozzarella cheese from Trader Joe’s: by far the best soy cheese I have found!

-pizza cutter: mine is Martha Stewart but I am also highly impressed with the Pampered Chef one

*My bread machine is made by Cuisinart and was received as a wedding gift.  I believe they said they got it at Costco.  I make bread in it a few times a year…not a lot (and it comes with a ton of recipes).  But the amount of pizza dough I make makes it well worth the purchase.  I probably make pizza at least once a month if not more.  It is also nice to be able to decide to make pizza or bread on a whim (and not have to go to the store) when I keep all the ingredients in stock and we always have some form of tomato or sauce to whip up a pizza.  The pizza dough recipe is also great for breadsticks, pigs in a blanket, and any other dough recipe. 

What is your favorite way to make homemade pizza?