Homemade Pizza Dough

Back when Andrew and I lived in Toronto, we used to buy frozen pizzas all the time. They were cheap and so convenient, which was great because our work schedules were so chaotic. And they were tasty - maybe a little too tasty. Once we moved to Brisbane and the boys got older, we finally accepted that frozen pizzas were no longer economical, and they really weren't very good for us. So we started making our own pizzas from scratch.

We seem to go through phases where we make certain dishes over and over again for dinner until we become tired of it. Lately, we've been going through a pizza phase. It's been especially nice this time around because Caleb is old enough to help out and will always join me in making the dough. As long as I make the dough far enough ahead of time for it to rise, it's a quick and easy dinner solution for us. The boys love choosing their own toppings, and assembling the pizzas as well if there's time.

I use a very simple recipe, adapted from one by The Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 4 cups flour (I use 3 cups plain + 1 cup wholemeal)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine warm water with instant yeast in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and olive oil. 
3. Stir yeast mixture and pour into the large bowl, mixing until the dough is formed.
4. Lightly coat dough with olive oil. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for at least an hour. OR cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge until you need it.

Notes:

To bake, preheat oven to 500°F/260°C then bake pizzas for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.