I’ll just start by saying I LOVE pizza… and most kids do too! There are so many different varieties between the dough style, the sauce you use, and the endless toppings.
Of course, I chose to make everything from scratch.. the dough, the sauce, AND the pepperoni. I love this dough because it’s super easy and requires no rising time. I made a double batch and made bread sticks on the side. Well, it was a family effort.. my son rolled the bread sticks out.. and my youngest daughter rolled out the pizza dough.. I even got them to shred the block of cheese.. that was a plus!
There are so many different ways to make the sauce. For this recipe, I used canned tomatoes (organic and clean ingredients, just basically tomatoes). I’m all about cutting corners to save time if the ingredients are wholesome. I just seasoned, and blended. This pizza sauce can be refrigerated for 5-7 days, or frozen in a safe zip-lock for 3-4 months.
The pepperoni is tedious, but worth the effort. I added all the ingredients, rolled in saran wrap, and refrigerated. Refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours.. Overnight would be better when handling. If your roll just isn’t cooperating, you can always roll it out thin on parchment paper and cut with a circular object and flatten out. As long as the pepperoni isn’t super thick, and you bake your pizza at 475 for at least 15 mins.. your pepperoni is cooked. Note: if the pepperoni looks pink in the middle, it’s not done.
The dough, well that’s simple.. you can make it as thin or as thick as you’d like! I did a normal size thickness, which yield me 2 large sized pizzas.. cooked at 475 for 15 mins.
Always buy a block of cheese and shred yourself! I used mozzarella for the traditional pizza flavor and stringy effect.. but Monterey jack or other white cheeses would be good as well.. Experiment, you’ll find what you like!
If you have some time to invest, you can always make a bunch of whole pizzas or mini pizzas to freeze in batches for an easy family dinner, or an after school lunch for the kiddos! Assemble your pizzas, flash freeze for 1 hour on parchment paper, then remove and saran wrap AND foil. Best to eat in 1-2 months. Can cook at 475, but just add a few extra minutes if baking from frozen.
Enjoy!
