Pizza Night, Pizza Crust

Homemade pizza can make any cook look like a “try hard” in the kitchen without actually trying. Pizza night is an event, where kids, and adults, can create their own perfect personal pizza. As host of pizza night, your only job is to prepare a few pizza toppings, buy or make your favorite marinara sauce, supply the cheese and of course make the perfect dough to put it all on. Over the past two decades I have been making my own pizza crusts. In my college years, I made dough with just flour, cheese and water. If you’re thinking that sounds pretty disgusting, it was. But being poor and unaware of yeast’s existence didn’t stop my need for a good pizza crust. As time went on, I discovered bread flour, olive oil, yeast and a lack of free time. After 3 kids and 5 different ovens, I finally had a pizza crust that was fast, created limited dirty dishes, and everybody liked. Essentially take the ingredients below , dump into a bowl and mix until no longer wet. Let rise. Spread onto a well oiled pan, add toppings and bake. So good ahead enjoy the easiest pizza night ever.

3 cups Bread Flour, (All purpose can work as well, you just may have to use more)
2 teaspoons of salt
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon of Yeast
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus more for greasing)
1 1/2 cups of warmish water

Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast into a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Pour the oil and water into the dry mix. Stir until no dry flour remains. The mixture will be wet and sticky. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough to rise for 1-3 hours. The colder the house, the slower the dough will rise. Planning ahead? You can put the dough in the fridge up to 24 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 14x20 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (parchment paper is not required, I just prefer it) Drizzle 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil over the parchment. Dump the dough out onto the pan. Using your fingers coated in oil, press the dough into a rectangle. Try not to rip the dough and don’t worry about getting an even thickness, this dough is suppose to be fast! If you are making personal pizza crusts, divide the dough into 4ths and shape in the same manner.

Once the dough is flattened out, spread your favorite marinara sauce onto the dough, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then the toppings. Bake in the oven for anywhere from 20-25 minutes. Cut and enjoy!