Makes 1 - 16" pizza. Total time takes approximately 1 hour including prep and baking time.
This is not your usual Italian-style or New York-style pizza. This is a thoroughly mid-western style of pizza that I learned from my Uncle Craig. It is a fresh, saucy, cheesy, stick-to-your-ribs, type of pizza that will delight!
I should warn you from the start, this recipe includes homemade crust and marinara, so of course, feel free to trade in your own store-bought versions. However, in the spirit of trying new things, I urge you to give the entire recipe a try from start to finish. I think you will be amazed by the results and how easy it actually is!
Marinara
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 an onion
2 large garlic cloves or 2 tbsp of diced or crushed garlic
1/3 red bell pepper (optional)
1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 scant tsp pepper
1 tsp white sugar
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a pan, add onion and pepper (I used yellow here because it's all had), let cook, and soften for 5 minutes on low heat.
Add garlic and let soften for 2 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir, cover, and let simmer on low until the pie crust is ready.
No-Rise Crust
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c melted butter
1 cup milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°
In a mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a fork.
Pour in melted butter and milk and mix with a fork until combined.
Flour your hands, the dough will be sticky. Press the dough into a ball in the bowl and roll it out onto a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to nearly the size of your pizza pan.
Fold in half, transfer to a greased pizza pan, unfold, and press the dough out to the edges of the pan.
Poke full of holes with a fork.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the dough has lost its shine but is not browned.
Pizza Assembly:
Most of this section is based on preference. Follow your own tastes!
Once your crust has baked for the first 8 minutes, add your marinara. (You will probably have extra sauce leftover)
Add all preferred toppings. My personal favorites are; chopped fresh basil, ham, or pepperoni. I use about 2/3 of a 16 oz block of low-moisture mozzarella cheese.
Put back in the oven and bake for another 12 minutes.
Broil on high for the final 2 minutes.
And that does it! This wonderfully fresh and simple pizza recipe will take some of the guilt, and all of the gut-ache, out of pizza night.
Enjoy!
All photography by Jessie Alice Smith
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