It's Not Delivery...It's DiGiorno!

No, seriously, it's DiGiorno!  I made some homemade pizza dough for the first time ever.  Bread recipes (anything involving using yeast) totally intimidates me.  I don't know why.  This is a simple pizza dough that you can make in the morning and let rise until you're ready to make pizzas for lunch.  My big girl Taylor helped me knead the dough.

I made some pizza sauce and I had some extra homemade BBQ sauce leftover from our smoked brisket last week.  I laid out everybody's favorite toppings and we all made our own pizzas.  My girls and I made mini pizzas and my husband, a.k.a. "Big Daddy", made a 12 inch pizza.  He kept going back to the kitchen and putting a few slices on his plate, and before long, it was all gone.  He said he shared with Jordyn, but come on, she's a 3 year old that takes little bites.  I'm just happy he enjoyed it.  He's picky about his pizza since he's a true Italian.  I rolled his dough out really thin, since that's the way he likes it.

Ingredients for Pizza Dough:

1 cup warm water (between 100-110 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz.)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar.  Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes, until the top becomes frothy and foamy.  Add the olive oil, salt, and flour.  Stir together until it starts to come together.  Pour out onto clean countertop and knead the dough until smooth and firm, about 10 minutes.  If you're lucky and have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, you can use the dough attachment and it only takes about 5 minutes.  Otherwise, get ready for a great arm workout.  Use the heels of your hands and really work the dough.  When the dough is smooth, form into a ball.  Transfer to a bowl coated lightly in olive oil, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2-2 hours.  I put it in the oven since it was really humid from raining the day before. 

After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and divide into three equal sections (if you want 3-12 inch pizzas). Form each section of dough into a ball by rolling it under the palm of your hand to create a smooth surface. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel.  Allow the dough to rise again for about 30 minutes.

Stretch or roll the dough out as thin as you'd like (recommend 12 inch circles).  Add sauce and your favorite toppings. Bake at 425°F until golden brown and crispy, about 12-15 minutes for a large pizza.

We made pizza 4 ways:

Salami, Pepperoni and Canadian Bacon Pizza (Big Daddy's)

BBQ Chicken Pizza (Big Mama's)

Girls Pizzas: BBQ Canadian Bacon Pizza & Canadian Bacon and BBQ Chicken Pizza

The prepared pizza dough disks can be refrigerator in zip lock storage bags for 2 days, or frozen for 2 weeks.  My husband wants to have a pizza party and let everybody make their own.  Sounds like a fun Sunday afternoon to me!  Pizza, football, and family...what more can you ask for?