Michelle's Pizza

Servings: 2 Large Pizzas

Sauce:

16 oz. can tomato sauce                              

¼ t. dried oregano                                          

¼ t. garlic powder              

¼ t. dried basil                                                

¼ t. salt

1 t. sugar                                                          

¼ t. dried thyme                              

1/8 t. black pepper          

1 bay leaf   

¼ c. water                                                                     

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until sauce starts to boil.  Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Dough:

4 ½ t. (2 pkg) active dry yeast                                     

2 T. oil 

2 t. salt

2 c warm water, warmed to 110-120 degrees        

2 t. sugar             

5-6 c flour

2 t. oil (to coat)

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add the oil, sugar, and salt.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes.  Add flour and knead for 5 minutes, until elastic. Add 2 t. oil to coat dough to prevent sticking to bowl.  Cover with saran wrap or towel and let rise for 40 minutes, until almost doubled.

Toppings, other items needed for baking:

Parchment paper for baking

8-10 oz sliced pepperoni, Canadian bacon, etc. (toppings your choice)

4 c (16 oz) grated mozzarella cheese

Penzey’s pizza seasoning

Garlic butter for crust:

4 T. margarine

1 t. salt

1 t. garlic powder

Melt margarine and then stir in salt and garlic powder.

Directions:

1) Make sauce.  Make dough and let it rise. Prepare toppings and garlic butter. Cut two circles of parchment paper to fit stone or pan you will cook pizza on.  Once dough has risen, divide in half place each on the parchment paper circles and roll out into 2 circles. At this point, I like to preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  I preheat my stone as well as the oven is preheating.

2) Roll out the dough farther than parchment paper and then bunch up the edges to form a crust.  Add ½ of sauce to each pizza and spread into thin layer to cover dough. Sprinkle Penzey’s liberally on top of sauce. Add ½ of cheese to each pizza.  Add ½ of toppings to each pizza.  Finally, baste about ¼ of the garlic butter onto crust, reserving ½ for after baking.

3) Carefully take preheated stone out of oven and transfer pizza to the stone with a cutting board underneath to help transfer (parchment paper will stay underneath pizza).  Bake 1 pizza at a time, for 8-10 minutes each, until golden brown on top.  Add ½ of remaining garlic butter to each pizza after removing from oven.  Slice, serve, and enjoy!