Say I love you with Pizza

Here is the deal, we are a Pizza Friday family. During lockdown I tried almost every almost every recipe I could find for the best dough, but nothing was quite right. I finally came up with a mix of 2 from Sally’s Baking addiction, which if you haven’t already subscribed to please go check it out!

First things first - this recipe will take you a very, very long time. I’ve pre-made the dough and refrigerated and frozen it, both have turned out fine. Punch it down, divide it, and tightly wrap it before you do this and defrost for 24 hours in the fridge/ 30 minutes on the counter if freezing. I usually make 2 batches at a time for this, because that’s how often our family eats pizza. That being said, give yourself at least 3 hours to prep the dough, allow it to rise, assemble, and bake if you are making it from scratch.

You will need:

• 1 package of yeast

• 1 tsp sugar

• 325 ml of warm water

• 1 cup of whole wheat flour

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp pink sea salt

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning or Oregano

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 2 tbsp oil

• Cornmeal

• Cooking spray

• Sauce, cheese or alternative, toppings of your choosing

How To:

1) Measure out your water and lightly stir in your package of yeast. Add a pinch of your sugar, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside while you whisk 3 cups of flour, salt, and seasonings (if you’re using them). Clean a good section of your countertop, (I use a spray bottle with vinegar and water for this), and set aside ½ cup of flour to work in.

(Your yeast is active if it’s bubbly, and if your kids are like mine, they will love this science experiment!)

2) Add the yeast to the dough and add your oil, work it together into a ball and plop it on to your floured countertop. Drizzle a small amount of oil into your mixing bowl, just enough to coat it, and set aside.

3) Knead the dough on the counter, working in more flour, until it’s smooth and elastic. This usually takes me 5-10 minutes, depending how often I am interrupted and how much flour I’m working in. If you can poke your finger in the dough and it slowly rises back up, it’s ready to rise.

4) Place the ball back into your greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside somewhere warm. Please read Sally’s recommendations on how to properly let your dough rise, I usually keep it in the warmest room of the house or above the fridge. You can rise it anywhere from 60-90 minutes, until it is doubled in size.

5) Once it’s doubled in size and squishy, punch it down and roll it back out on your counter. Form two even balls and roll it out, (I usually roll it to 14-16 inches because we like a thinner crust). You can sprinkle a little cornmeal on the counter for an interesting bottom texture, but it’s not essential. I personally haven’t baked this on a pizza stone, we just use a baking sheet or pizza tray with parchment paper or cooking spray. Transfer it over and then allow it to rest while you heat your oven to 475.

6) Per Sally- the oven should be very hot, so I let the pizza rest while the oven preheats (at least 20 minutes) and I chop my toppings. I’ve made this crust into smaller/ personal pizzas so the kids can make their own, and my personal favorite is to roll the outer edge of the crust super thin so I can stuff it with cheese, more garlic, and sauce. This dough makes a killer calzone, too.

7) Brush the top of the crust with a little olive oil, (I usually mix in some seasoning here), top with your favorite sauce, cheese, and toppings, and bake for about 12-15 minutes. I recommend rotating it halfway during the bake. Cool, slice, and enjoy!

Did you make this? I would love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram @theMomTrainer so I can give you a high five!

Check out more family-friendly recipes by clicking on the recipes tag on my blog and email me if you'd like me to share one of your favorites!