Pizza Pizza!

My little family LOVES pizza, smack your lips as Mama pulls the pizza out of the oven, in a clap your hands between bites, and through up a fist pump when another slice slides onto your plate. It's a pretty gratifying meal to serve the kiddos as there aren't many that solicit plate licking happiness but it's also one of those meals that can easily become greasy, heavy, and extremely unhealthy. Enter the homemade pizza: 

*insert angels singing here*

My Handsome Husband has been making his own pizza since long before he swept me off my feet, and by association I am privy to his recipe and pizza making magic ways. And because you stumbled upon my blog, you are now privy to this all together awesome info. You're welcome ;)

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

2 cups warm water [not too hot or it kills the yeast]

1 tbsp active yeast

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp canola oil

4 cups stone ground whole wheat flour

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Mix all the above ingredients together in a mixer, and start your timer at 7 minutes once a ball of dough is formed. Let the dough hooks on your mixer work that dough for the next seven minutes to activate the yeast and work the gluten. This is what helps your dough to rise and to hold together. Have a bowl set aside waiting for the dough, and spray the bowl with non stick cooking spray. 

Once the dough is done being worked, pull it out, roll it into a ball, and place in the prepared bowl. Cover the dough with a towel, and set aside until it has doubled in size [this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending on how warm your home is.]

While your dough is rising, prepare your toppings! Be creative; roasted vegetables [a serious hit in our house! Especially with me haha!] a variety of meats, fresh cut vegetables, various cheeses, pizza sauce - the skies the limits! Here's a list, in order of how it was laid on that perfect crust, of what we had on our pizza last night:

tomato sauce

Italian seasoning [sprinkled on the sauce]

roasted vegetables: zucchini

red pepper

yellow pepper

sweet potato

butternut squash

carrot

red onion

crumbled goat cheese

Once your pizza is constructed, pop it into a preheated 450* oven for 10-15 minutes. Check pizza for done-ness on the edge and middle, and when its perfect to you, take it out and let it sit for a minute before serving to your wee ones or they might just burn their sweet tongues in all the excitement!