My Favorite Thin-Crust Pizza Recipe

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I know we're supposed to be low carbing it, but sometimes (especially after 4 weeks without pizza) you just have a craving for a homemade pizza!

The first time I had pizza was when I was 5 years old and I thought it was disgusting! Back in those days, Momma never put mushrooms on or in anything and I'd never tasted pepperoni before!

As pizza became more popular in the United States, a box brand called Chef Boyardee Pizza came out. It came with a packet of dry ingredients, a can of pizza sauce and a smaller packet of grated Parmesan cheese.

You poured the contents of the large packet into a bowl, and added warm water. Then, you mixed it up and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. After that, the dough was mushed onto a well greased cookie sheet, the sauce was spread on, then the powdered cheese. Sometimes we'd add ham or cooked burger, and maybe some sliced green olives. The crust had the consistency of cardboard!

To this day, I really don't know why we ate such crummy pizza! Maybe it was the novelty of eating pizza on Friday night, who knows?

Thank God I discovered how to make my own homemade pizza crust early on in my marriage! Over the years I have continued to search for "the perfect crust" and I believe I have finally found it!

When we still had children at home, Friday night was Pizza Nite! I taught our boys how to make pizza crust using the bread machine, and how to make pizza sauce (no box pizzas for my kids!). It's great to see our family traditions passed down, and continuing in their families.

Grandson, John Isaac cutting up the pizza toppings!

 

This recipe makes a truly great crust! It meets my criteria for a crisp and chewy crust . . . Not too thick and not too thin . . . Just right! And, it can all be mixed up in the bread machine!

BEST THIN-CRUST PIZZA ~ Makes 2 12-inch or 1 16-inch pizza

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm water (1 cup minus 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon pure cane sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 12 cups unbleached flour

1 12 teaspoons yeast (saf)

• Place first 5 ingredients into bread machine.
• Make a shallow well in flour and add yeast.
• Set bread machine on DOUGH, OR MANUAL and press start.
• While dough is rising prepare pizza sauce (see below).
• Prepare your toppings ~ mozzarella, pepperoni, fresh sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced onions, chopped red peppers.
• When bread machine makes it's final beeps, preheat oven to 425F.
• Grease pizza pan.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit pizza pan.
• Adjust crust, add pizza sauce and toppings.
• Bake in a 425F oven for 16-20 minutes, or until golden.
• Let sit for 5 minutes, slice and serve hot.

 

PIZZA SAUCE

1 4-ounce can of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Optional, pinch of dried pepper flakes for heat

1 clove, finely minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dries basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

• Simmer for 20 minutes to thicken.
• Remove from heat to cool.
• Use back of ladle or large spoon to spread pizza sauce evenly.

Involving your children in the preparations is a fun way to make it a family affair!

Adding fresh mushrooms!

 

Onions . . . !

And last, but not least, chopped red peppers!

Toppings on and ready for the oven . . . Great job, John Isaac!

 

How's that for a delicious "Homemade Pizza"!?!

This pizza tastes as good as it looks! With great pizza crust and sauce recipes like these, you'll be having your own "Family Pizza Night"! The best part? You made it yourself! . . . with fresh ingredients, homemade dough, fresh out of your oven!

Will and I may not be eating pizza quite as often, but you can be sure when we do have pizza, it's hot from the oven . . . Over at Julie's!!!

 

P.S. ~ This is my 200th post!

 

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