Making Pizza

Homemade pizza has always been a big part of our childhood. Our mom grew up next to an Italian family and the tastes and smells of her Italian friend’s home was a wonderful part of her childhood and became part of her.

She (neighbor) taught her the secret of a good Italian sauce, how to make pasta, and pizza and lasagna.  The memories are sweet for her, so in turn mom shared those memories and recipes with us.

Now the smell of garlic sautéing in the kitchen has become part of our lives. For this recipe, you are going to need a good Italian sauce.  If you don’t feel up to it, you can buy sauce, but trust us… it is just not the same.

So, come along with us.  Grab a seat in Auntie Betty’s kitchen and let her teach you how to make pizza.

Related Post: Bread Stick Recipe

Now Auntie Betty would always go down to the local Italian shop by bus and she would buy their already prepared dough for her pizza.

But our mom always made the dough herself wanting to make sure that we had the best ingredients available and to avoid hydrogenated oils, soy, and high fructose corn syrup.

It can be made in a bread maker and put on the dough setting instead of baking it or you can make it in your mixer.  I know it is faster just buying it, but the homemade dough is wonderful.  There is something wonderful about the yeasty smell in your kitchen.  So, put on some really good music (how about some Sinatra?) and let’s make some dough!  Grab your apron and click this link!

While your dough is rising let’s start our sauce! Grab your stock pot and garlic and let's begin. 

Now that your dough has risen, your sauce has simmered, let start looking for our toppings.
We have cheese - freshly grated

 Some hoagie rolls for some crisp bread pizzas. How about some sliced mushrooms and sliced olives for a vegetarian pizza?

This one is a one of a kind pizza with pineapple chunks, uncured (nitrate and nitrite free) pepperoni with diced olives.  with a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses melted on top.

This one is cooked on a stoneware cookie sheet. It is a simple pepperoni and cheddar cheese with a garnish of fresh flat leaf parsley from the Cottage Garden.