“I’m so busy; I don’t have time to cook!” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that from friends and family members. The truth is, we ARE busy. Whether you are single, married, have kids, don’t have kids, work full-time or part-time – we are just a busy people!

So, I am going to share a super easy recipe that ANYONE can make. You really cannot mess this up….YAY!
Ok, there is this book…you should buy it. It is called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. It is fabulous. The authors are brilliant and I am in love with this book! On page 26, there is a master bread recipe.  Today, we are going to use it to make pizza.

~Serves~ 6

Food Stuffs:
6 1/2c All Purpose Flour (unsifted/unbleached)
3c Lukewarm Water
1 1/2Tbs Yeast (I use Fleischmann’s Instant Dry Yeast and really like it)
1 1/2 Tbs Kosher Salt

Ok, this part is stupid easy. In your Kitchen Aid mix the salt, water and yeast for like 20 seconds, using the dough hook. (or if you don’t have this attachment you can just use a spoon and some elbow grease ;)  Then add the flour. Mix, mix, mix until all the flour is mixed and smooth…maybe a minute and a half.  Turn off the mixer. Remove the dough hook. Take the bowl off of the mixer and set it on the counter. Place a damp (not wet) dish towel over the top of the bowl and let stand at room temp for 2 hours. After it has set for 2 hours, pop it in the fridge. Now, you can let it cool for a couple of hours and then use it or it can last in your fridge for up to 10 days.

So, your dough is cold and ready to handle. Grab some flour, your rolling pin and your favorite pizza toppings. I will suggest some below. Preheat your oven to 350. Dust your pizza pan or baking stone with cornmeal.

Dust the surface of the counter with flour. Now grab a handful of flour and throw it on top of the dough. Reach in and pull out a chunk of dough the size of grapefruit. Roll and tuck the dough under itself until all the flour is mixed in.  (this video will help explain the process…you don’t have to watch the whole thing) Once that is done, roll the dough out to however thick you like your crust. We like it thin, so I roll mine to about 1/2in. Move it to the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges with olive oil. I didn’t do this last time and I left like the crust was a little dry. Now,  you can do this one of two ways: you can top your pizza and put it in the oven if you like your cheese and crust crunchy like my uncle and husband does. If you are like my kids and I, we like ours gooey and stringy – in which case you would want to pop the crust in the oven for about 5-7 minutes and then top the crust with the sauce, meats and cheeses, and then place it back in the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until your crust is fully cooked.

Here are some toppings that my family and I love:

Pesto and Olive:
1/3c Pesto
10 Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Marinated Pitted Olives (halved)
6 Fresh Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)
1/2c Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
*Spread the pesto around the dough. Next evenly distribute the olives, tomatoes and cheese. Pop it in the oven. No need to precook the crust for this one :) We had Chianti with this…it was very good. Pinot Gris would do for a white, I would think.

The Mexican:
Precook your crust, thoroughly. In a saute pan, fry up some ground beef, chicken or turkey. Add 1/2c onion, 1/2c shredded carrot and a packet of taco seasoning. Shred lettuce, chop up a tomato. Now don’t lose me here. I know..you’re like, really? We used to eat this when I was a kid. It was actually really good and really fun to make with the kids. You can even add food coloring to the crust and the kids can have their own very personal pan pizza! Back to putting this together…once the crust is cooked, you sprinkle the meat on, then the lettuce, then the tomatoes, then the cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream if you want and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.  A little taco sauce and sangria…adults only…and you’ve made a really fun meal for your family. **This is very fun at birthday parties**

The Breakfast Lovers:
Precook your crust for 5 minutes(Tip: Brush the crust with butter instead of oil…it’s more “breakfasty”). Pull the crust out of the oven. Top the pizza with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled crispy bacon or sausage, chopped scallions and chopped red peppers. Now carefully crack 2 or 3 eggs…depending on the size of your pizza…on top of the toppings. Pop the pizza back in the oven for 3 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking. I like mine medium.

I’d love it if you would comment on your favorite pizza toppings! Try this recipe out  and buy this book! It’s so good!

**This is for you, Kierra W!

The whole gang getting ready to make pizza