Nothing better than homemade pizza, except cooking with your kid!

I was recently asked to help with a food column in a local parenting magazine named BG Parent.  I was quite excited to be asked to do this since a major passion of mine is cooking.  I really wanted to create a column that was easy to make, gourmet enough to impress anyone, and the most important item, involve your kids!  I decided on a homemade pizza....By homemade I do not mean sauce out of a jar or the pre-made pizza dough.  Homemade pizza is really easy to make, when you find the right combination of ingredients.  I read and read, and after many attempts at failing I think I have made the perfect New York style pizza, and I hope you agree!

Here are the ingredients needed for the pizza dough:

5 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
2 teaspoons salt (or 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 to 2 cups room-temperature water

Kosher Salt, Yeast and Sugar

All dry ingredients

Water and Olive Oil

Here is the skinny on how to make the dough.  This is one part where the kids will have a blast!

Dough after kneading

Dough before kneading

Combine all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and grab a wooden spoon or I guess you could mix it in an electric mixer.  Most kids love mixing, so they will enjoy this part!  It will become pretty hard for them to mix, so you will want to help them stir.  Once it is all combine and your mixture is dough like you will want to let it rest for 5-10 minutes.  After you have cleaned up your mess of flour and such you will want to pick the stirring back up for 3-5 minutes, adding more flour or water if necessary.  To have the perfect dough you want the dough to be wetter and stickier than bread dough, but dry enough the it holds together and pulls away from the side of the bowl.  I then take the mixture out of the bowl and knead it by hand for 5-10 minutes, and kids are great at helping here too!

Dough Divided and in Ziploc Bags

Once you have completed kneading divide the dough into 4 even portions, and form into a ball.  This recipe makes enough for 4 pizza's!  I place the dough into 4 zip lock bags that have a light coating of olive oil that helps keep it from sticking to the sides of the bag.  The dough I plan to use that day I place in the fridge, and freeze the other.

The dough takes the longest to complete, but it is totally worth having homemade pasta dough!  My sauce is a piece of cake to make.  This is a very traditional New York style sauce recipe that I have added my twist to.

Ingredients for Sauce:

1 28oz can of Redgold Whole Peeled Tomatoes
2 teaspoons of Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons of Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons of Onion Powder
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
2 teaspoons of Red Wine Vinegar (yes, vinegar!)

Dry Ingredients

Whole Tomatoes

How to make the sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth, that is basically it!  I like to heat my sauce for an hour to help it reduce a bit, and allow the flavors to cohesively mesh together.

Tomatoes and Dry Ingredients

Red Wine Vinegar ready to go in!

I like to have fresh shredded cheeses on my pizza, so I generally get a block of low moisture mozzarella cheese and shred it.  I do not suggest getting fresh mozzarella cheese as it has too much water in it.  When you cook your pizza it will get too soggy.  I also have a special ingredient that you do not see much on pizza, but trust me, it works really well!  Are you ready for it?  Sharp Vermont Cheddar Cheese...Odd I know...I buy a small block of it and shred it as well...I use it lightly when I top the pizza, but the flavor goes a long way!

Once you get all of the prep work out of the way comes the really fun part, assembling the pie!  My daughter really loves to help spread the sauce and help top the pizza.  She actually snacks more on the cheese, but she does help too!

Vermont Cheddar on bottom
and mozzarella on top.

Before topping the pizza go to the oven and turn it on 525 degrees...If you have a pizza stone (highly recommended) be sure to allow it to pre-heat with the over.  Be sure to properly season the pizza stone a couple times before using it.
 

My daughter adding cheese

For the dough I place it on a flat hard surface and lightly flour the bottom and top of the dough.  I try to work it by hand to form the shape of a pizza and usually rely on the help of my rolling pin.  Once it is close to the desired shape of my pizza I coat my pizza peel with corn meal, and place my pizza shaped dough on the peel.  Corn meal will help the completed pizza transfer from your peel or baking sheet to the pizza stone.



Once you have the dough in the desired shape I just simply add enough sauce to cover the pizza and then start topping with your favorite toppings.  My daughter just like cheese, so you can see her making her pizza.

Completed Cheese Pizza

When you have completed topping your pizza place your creation into the hot oven on a pizza stone.  The cooking will not take long at all!  Maybe 5-7 minutes tops!  Continue to watch the pizza to make sure it does not burn on you.  Once it is done remove it from the pizza stone and enjoy!

Pizza for mommy and me!
(sausage, mixed olives, pepperoni)

Here are a couple photos of the completed pizza's we made.  The both turned out fantastic!  The dough was crisp on the bottom, chewy in the middle and the sauce was perfect!

I hope you all enjoy the pizza's and especially enjoy the time with your kids!