Pizza Sauce and Basic Pizza Dough

I really just love pizza. The house always smells amazing when they're baking. And today I made my own sauce, adding to the wonderful aroma. Pizza making is so simple, and so much better for you than pre-packaged pizza. It's fun to play around with the toppings or customize each slice for the varying tastes of your family. My husband is a strict pepperoni lover whereas I love everything on mine. We can enjoy two totally different meals, each to our liking, baked at the same time.
Tonight I made a basic crust--just flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil. It's a sturdy, bready crust able to withstand the weight of several toppings. It was ok but low on flavor. I definitely prefer my semolina crust or a thinner, herbed crust with a bit a sugar added to the dough. I topped one with pepperoni, Robert's standard, and one with tomato slices marinated in a balsamic/red wine vinaigrette. Continue for recipes.












Pizza Sauce

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 28oz can diced tomatoes (or 2 smaller cans)

1 large tablespoon tomato paste

Herbs: 1 t thyme, 1 t basil, 1 t rosemary, 1/2 t oregano (or 1 T fresh herbs)--these are just estimates; feel free to throw in seasonings to your taste--I always throw in large "pinches" and usually side with thyme.

large pinch of sugar

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Fry onion and garlic until softened.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 min, or until the tomatoes have reduced to a thick pulp.

Let sauce cool a little and then puree in the blender. (I like my pasta sauce thunky but prefer a smooth pizza sauce--this is optional though.)

Basic Pizza Dough

For one pizza:

1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 t salt
1 t yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 T olive oil

Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to mix. Stir in the yeast.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Pour in the water and oil and mix with a spoon to a soft dough.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover.
Let rise in a warm place about 1 1/2 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 425.
Gently deflate the dough, knead, and shape into a ball.
Roll dough out and place on baking sheet or pizza peel.
Push up the dough to make a rim or a twisted border.
Brush or spray pizza lightly with olive oil (use garlic oil or chili oil for a nice flavor).
Top with desired toppings/sauce.
Bake for about 15 min, or until crust is golden.