Family Pizza Night + Our Favorite Homemade Pizza Recipe
Hey everyone! I think it’s safe to say that pretty much all kids love pizza, am I right? Our kids love pizza, whether it be from a local pizza shop or homemade. In today’s post, we’ll be sharing our favorite pizza recipe + a little tutorial on how to make it! 🙂
First and foremost you’ll need to make the pizza crust. Of course, you can always use a store-bought pizza crust, but making your own is completely worth it (if you have the time, no shame if you just grab the store-bought version ;)). We like to start our pizza crust about an hour and forty-five minutes before we’d like to eat dinner since the dough will need to rise for about an hour, then it takes about 15-20 minutes to shape the dough and top it and then you’ll need to make it for about 20 minutes. (depending on the thickness of your crust)
We have quite a few people to cook for, so rather than typical circle pizza pans, we usually just use basic cookie sheets. These have always worked out fine for us, but feel free to use any pans you have/would like to use. This recipe will make 2 pizza pans or 2 cookie sheet pans.
Making pizza is also a great family project idea. Make the dough and shape it yourself, then let the kids spread the sauce, sprinkle the cheese and place the toppings. This is a great way to get your kids to eat vegetables because if they’ve helped to prepare the meal, they’ll be more likely to want to eat their own handiwork.
You can get as creative as you want in terms of toppings. Stick to the classic cheese and pepperoni or do a family favorite such as barbeque ranch. It’s all up to you! We like to sneak in the vegetables when we can, so we’ll usually make a veggie pizza, an olive pizza and maybe a cheese or pepperoni pizza as well. (olives are our family’s favorite!)
Here’s the recipe if you’d like to make this pizza for yourself 🙂
Easy Homemade Pizza:
Makes 2 12-inch round pizzas.
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/3 cups warm water.
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast. (or 1 standard packet)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
- 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- 3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting surfaces)
- cornmeal for dusting the pan
Directions:
1. Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together using your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest until the mixture is bubbling. (about 5 minutes)
2. Add the salt, olive oil and flour. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes or until the dough is thoroughly mixed. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. If you prefer, you can also use a mixer to knead the dough, although it can be a little heavy for a mixer. The dough should still feel a little soft when you’ve finished kneading.
3. Lightly grease a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for an hour. (or until doubled in size) (Tip: To create a warm environment for your dough to rise in, heat your oven to about 100°F. Turn the oven off and place the dough inside.)
4. Preheat your oven to 475°F. Allow it to heat for at least 15-20 minutes as you shape the pizza. Lightly grease a baking sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.
5. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half. Shape dough into a disk shape on a lightly floured work surface. A lightly floured rolling pin is helpful for getting the dough to be even. Fold over the edges of the dough and pinch together to create a rim.
6. Brush the top of your pizza lightly with olive oil. This is super important because otherwise, the sauce will make your pizza crust soggy. Top the pizza with sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
We hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we have! 🙂
The Way of Givenness Family
