I think pizza is an American tradition. I know it sure is at our house! When I lived at home we had pizza every Friday night and we still try to continue that tradition. But we go on spurts on which variety we like. We certainly don’t always order out because it would be much too expensive. The easiest way is to get a frozen one and stick it in the oven. However, sometimes its fun to make your own with your own toppings. For me though I always have a hard time finding a recipe for the crust. Here is one that has a unique taste because of the herbs and spices in it!
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need to make your Herb Pizza Crust:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 2 ½ cups of whole wheat flour (If you do not have this you can substitute all purpose flour, the texture and flavor will just be a little different)
After you have measured out and gotten your ingredients ready you can begin putting your dough together. First, in a large mixing bowl mix together your honey, warm water, and your yeast. Put this mixture aside and let stand for ten minutes or until it is bubbly.
Then mix in your garlic powder, oregano, salt, and basil. You can mix this easily by hand but if you prefer it can be mixed with hand mixer. Once the seasonings are well blended, add your flour gradually. I do no more than half to three quarter cup at a time. Add the flour until a smooth, elastic, ball of dough is formed in your mixing bowl. You may have to use your hands to mix in the four.
Knead the dough on a floured cutting board for a few minutes. This is done by first flouring your hands and then pressing down on the dough with your fingers. Put your whole weight into it. Turn the dough over and over and continue doing this until the dough is nicely massaged. This makes your dough nice and flakey.
Once the dough is well kneaded, use your fingers or a small rolling pin to spread it evenly onto a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake your dough at 350 degrees for fifteen to twenty minutes or until the crust is done. It will be golden brown and you will easily be able to tell if it is done.
Top your crust with pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your favorite toppings. I like making my own pizza sauce to make my pizza even more my own but the store bought ones are good too. Some of our favorite toppings are ham, sausage or hamburger, mushrooms even pineapple! Experiment to find what your family’s favorites are! You can even do half and half for the people who do not like a particular topping.
The Author:
Along with cooking, Sammi loves working in her gardens and growing her own vegetables. She gets many of her plant starts from Garden Harvest Supply. They have a large variety such as pea plants and pepper plants for sale.
Photo. PublicDomainPictures