Homemade Pizza Dough and Sauce

Making your own pizza at home couldn't be easier, not to mention, much cheaper than ordering in. No matter whether you are a seasoned chef or a kitchen first timer, these recipes will teach you how to successfully make pizza at home. I have provided recipes for both pizza dough and sauce. However, feel free to use whichever recipe you are interested in - or use both!  

The toppings for your pizza are endless when you cook at home. You are no longer restricted by the selection the pizza parlor has. Instead you can personalize the pizza to your taste. You can choose to go the vegetarian route or load your pizza up with your favorite meat. Here are some toppings options that I have thought of:

The possibilities are endless! Whatever your tastes or dietary needs you can make a homemade pizza you will enjoy.

These recipes were adapted from a cooking class I participated in at The Kitchen Studio Cooking School in Frederick, MD. Visit them at www.kitchenstudiofrederick.com

Supplies for Pizza Sauce:

• Medium skillet or saucepan
• Knife
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Stove

Supplies for Pizza Dough:

• Large bowl
• Kitchen towel
• Timer
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Rolling pin
• Oven

Ingredients for Pizza Sauce:

• 2-tablespoons olive oil
• ½-cup onion, chopped
• 1-teaspoon sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or minced garlic out of jar - 1/2 teaspoon = 1 clove)
• 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1-tablespoon italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Pizza Dough:

• 1-teaspoon sugar
• 2 ¼-teaspoon yeast (one store bought package)
• 1-cup warm water
• 2 ¼-cup flour, all-purpose (2 cups of flour go into dough, other 1/4-cup is for flouring surfaces and rolling pin)
• 1/4-teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Supplies for Safety:

• Apron or other clothing you don't mind getting dirty
• Potholders

Note: One pizza should yield about 12 pieces (squares). The number of pieces will depend on how thick or thin you want the crust.

You will yield almost 2 cups of tomato sauce. If not all sauce is used in one pizza prep you can certainly freeze the sauce for next time.

1. Heat olive oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onions, sprinkle with the sugar, then lower the heat.
3. Cook the onions and sugar over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add garlic and cook one minute longer.
5. Add tomato sauce and italian seasoning.
6. Cook on low, uncovered until thick (about 15 minutes - the longer you let it go the better it is).
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in large bowl, let stand 5 minutes.
2. Add 1-cup flour and ¼-teaspoon salt to yeast, mix well.
3. Add 1-cup flour, stirring well.
4. Turn dough out of bowl onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (If you have a mixer with a dough hook you can let the machine do the work for you.) Add additional flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking.
5. Place dough in large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat.
6. Cover bowl with kitchen towel and let rise 45 minutes.
7. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees.
2. Roll dough into desired size and shape (smaller = thicker crust, larger = thinner crust - round or rectangular shape is up to you)
3. Place dough on baking sheet covered with parchment.
4. Top with desired sauce and other toppings.
5. Place in oven for 12-15 minutes (the thicker the crust the longer the bake time), until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.