Pizza

Ever since I bought my pizza stone and began experimenting with different yeast dough recipes, I haven't had the desire to buy a takeout pizza. Why would I, when in the same amount of time I can make a just as tasty pizza for pennies on the dollar and a much lower calorie intake?

Sorry local pizza joints, but I am ordering in from Janet's pizza kitchen tonight.

Pizza--Turkey Pepperoni, Tomatos, and Bell Pepper

My current favorite crust is the Olive Oil Dough, but I have also used this whole wheat dough in the past.

Pre-heat the oven to 550 degrees (500 if fine if that's as hot as your oven will go), with the pizza stone inside. Rack position doesn't really matter for pizza. Be sure to heat your pizza stone for at least 30 minutes so it is nice and hot....this is how you achieve that nice crispy, pizzeria crust at home.

Meanwhile, sprinkle a generous amount of cornmeal on a large piece of parchment paper. This will help keep your crust from sticking.

Grab a hunk of dough from your homemade refrigerated dough (make it earlier in the week and it will be ready for you whenever the pizza craving strikes) and begin spread and stretching it out on the parchment paper. If you like a thin crust, stretch it until it is about a 1/4" thick. If you like a thicker crust, don't stretch the dough so much.

Note: Lightly flouring your fingers or spreading a small bit of cornmeal on the top edge of he dough helps keep the pizza dough from sticking to your hands. This will make it easier to work with.

Once you've spread the dough out to your desired thickness, size and shape, spoon your favorite pizza sauce all over the top. Spread it to about 1/4" to 1/2" away from the edge. The more dough you leave uncovered, the more pizza crust you will have. I personally love the crust, but maybe you don't. That's the good thing about homemade pizza...you can decide everything!

Once your dough is covered in sauce, load it up with some shredded mozzarella cheese, diced tomatos, diced bell pepper and turkey pepperoni.

Pop that bad boy into your preheated oven, on top of the pizza stone (I leave my pizza on the parchment, and place that onto the stone while it bakes). Cook for about 8-11 minutes, or until your crust is golden and the cheesy is melted and bubbly.

Remove your pizza from the stone with a large spatula, but leave the pizza stone in the oven to cool. Let cool slightly and then enjoy!