If you are using a bread machine, go ahead and get that out and make sure you have all the parts. You can go ahead and set it to the dough setting. I go ahead and start mine because it takes a few minutes to warm up at the very beginning.
If you are mixing the dough by hand, you’ll need to add dry ingredients to the bowl first and then all the wet ingredients. Mix well with a non-stick spatula and then continue to knead the dough until it reaches a smooth consistency.
While the bread machine is warming up go ahead and start adding the ingredients in the order listed on the recipe (wet ingredients first - on the bottom (with the exception of the salt and sugar) then dry ingredients last - on the top)
Close the lid and let the machine work. My cycle is for 45 minutes. Yours should be something similar.
This is when I get my small bowl and start making the homemade tomato sauce. You’ll add all of the sauce ingredients into the small mixing bowl and stir until completely combined. If you want a thinner sauce you can add more oil or vinegar a tsp at a time.
If you are sautéing peppers and onions or cooking any type of meat topping you would do this now while the dough is being prepared. Suggested toppings are in the blog post above.
Once you have your sauce ready and your toppings chopped up, cooked and ready to spread you can go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare your sheet pan by adding a non-stick cooking sheet or spray.
When your dough is ready, turn the dough out onto your sheet pan and form a circle. Cut the dough into fourths. You can use all sections or you can wrap some up and put them in the freezer for later.
You can either use a rolling pin to roll out your dough or you can form it by pulling and stretching to the desired size and shape.
Once all the dough sections are shaped, let them sit for about 5 minutes on your sheet pan. This will allow the yeast time to form air bubbles that give the pizza character. If you’re pressed for time you can skip this step.
Go ahead and spread your sauce out on the pizza dough, add your toppings and then finish it off with the cheese.
Place the pan with prepared pizzas in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Cut with a pizza cutter and serve.
