That's Amore!

You know, like "when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie?" Cheesy, I know. :) I got the idea to make homemade pizza from Dela over at Not Your Mama's Southern Cooking. She recently posted about making her own pizza dough for the first time and it inspired me, since I have never made my own either. The husband and I have also been getting tired of my usual meat and potatoes meals (one of which I have planned for this weekend) and wanted a change of pace. Taylor loves pizza and everyone says there is no better pizza that the one you make yourself since you can personalize it to your tastes. This also means we can each have individual pies to our liking. This might not matter to you, but for us it means we will both enjoy our pizza more. I love white sauces, especially Alfredo, on pizza. Taylor is not a big fan and would rather have a really good tomato sauce. This way we will both get what we like!

I wanted to make the entire meal from scratch, so first I had to find a dough recipe. I also wanted to use what I had on hand in my kitchen. No time to run to the grocery store after work...I was way too hungry for that. And that means no yeast in the dough. I don't bake bread often...well ever, so yeast is not something you will regularly find in my cabinets. Dela made her dough with beer, but we also don't keep that on hand, so I had to keep looking. I finally found what looked like a good no yeast pizza dough on EasyPizzaCrusts.com. We both loved the crust. It had a good flavor and texture, but it didn't brown much on the edges.

No Yeast Pizza Crust
Source: EasyPizzaCrusts.com - my additions in italics

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp Italian Herbs
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
2 dashes cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare pizza pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add liquids and stir to incorporate dry ingredients. Knead dough by hand 6-8 times on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough thinly. I halved the ball of dough and we had individual pizzas that were perfect for one serving. I rolled mine out pretty thin in more of a square shape. Taylor wanted his a little thicker, so we made it round.

Place rolled dough onto prepared pizza pan, rub a little oil over the top to keep the sauce from making the crust soggy. Add your favorite sauce and toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, depending on crust thickness.

I also wanted to make the sauces myself instead of from a jar. However, my attempt at homemade Alfredo sauce was a bust and I ended up using some from a jar. The marinara sauce recipe turned out awesome! I just came up with my own recipe using ingredients I had on hand. It was quick and easy! Taylor loved it!

Quick Marinara Sauce
Source: Me

1 can stewed tomatoes, pureed
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning Spice blend
1 large clove or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot or 1/2 small white onion, minced
olive oil, just enough to saute the garlic

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the oil, garlic and onion. Sautee until tender. Add the tomato puree and Italian seasonings. Bring to a light boil then reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes, or longer if you have the time. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors will develop. I made the sauce first and let it simmer while I made the pizza dough.

The pizza's turned out great!


Mine was Alfredo sauce, red pepper flakes, mozzarella, smoked gouda and grilled chicken that had been marinated in Italian dressing.



Taylor's was marinara sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni. He said it was much better than any frozen pizza from the store. We will be making homemade pizza again. We've already been brainstorming about possible toppings for next time!