Homemade Pizza

Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package and proof it by sprinkling yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar over warm water in small bowl; stir until yeast is dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly. If yeast does not bubble, it is no longer active. Always check expiration date on yeast packet. Also, water that is too hot will kill yeast; it is best to use a thermometer.)
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

1 In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid), add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.

2 Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand.

3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you don't have a warm spot in the house you can heat the oven to 150 degrees, and then turn off the oven. Place the bowl of dough in this warmed oven to rise.

At this point, if you want to make ahead, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

4 Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

5 Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.

6 Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way. About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza. One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza.

7 Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.

8 Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes.

Repeat with the second ball of dough.

9 Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.

10 Spoon on the tomato sauce (see below), sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.

11 Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.
Source: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004239homemade_pizza.php


Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe I
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot or 1/2 large carrot, finely chopped
1 small stalk of celery, including the green tops, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, including the juice, or 1 3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
1 Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through.

2 Remove cover and add the minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook for garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, including the juice and shredding them with your fingers if you are using canned whole tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes. If you want you can push the sauce through a food mill to give it a smooth consistency.

Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce.
Source: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004234basic_tomato_sauce.php

Tomato Sauce II:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces water
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion until tender. Stir in tomato paste and water. Season with sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, basil, oregano, marjoram, cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 2 12" pizzas.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mikes-homemade-pizza/Detail.aspx


Topping Ideas

Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
Feta cheese
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
Italian sausage, cooked ahead
Chopped fresh basil
Pesto
Pepperoni, thinly sliced
Onions, thinly sliced
Sliced ham
2 cups (about 5 ounces) sliced eggplant
2 cups (about 1/2 pound) sliced fresh artichoke hearts
Tomato, parmesan and fresh thyme leaves
Grilled eggplant, onions and sun-dried tomatoes with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses
Crumbled crisp bacon, sliced Roma tomatoes, red onions and black olives, with Mozzarella and crumbled Blue cheese or Ranch dressing, garnished with chopped avocado
Ground beef seasoned with cumin and chili powder, onions and tomatoes, with Monterey Jack and Cheddar garnished with cilantro and Guacamole
Green, yellow and red pepper strips, red onions, grilled eggplant and zucchini, with Mozzarella and either Gouda or Goat cheese, on olive oil seasoned with fresh thyme and oregano
Sautéed Portobello and Shitake mushrooms (or whatever is your favorite), black olives, Roma tomatoes and spinach with Mozzarella and a little Blue cheese, on Pesto sauce

Perfect Pizza Rules
Perfect Pizza Rule #1 There is a specific order of assembly:
Sauce, Cheese, Toppings, Cheese, Garnish.
Or: Oil, Cheese, Toppings, Cheese, Oil, Garnish.
Two or three tablespoons of sauce are all you need for a small pizza. Spread it on with a large spoon. Or, apply oil to the dough with a pastry brush and drizzle a little more on the top of the pizza, if desired. (Watch out for chili oil, it's hot.) Apply half the cheese over the sauce or oil, and half on top. Apply garnishes, if any, after the pizza is cooked.

Perfect Pizza Rule #2:
Spread sauce, oil and toppings only within the rim of the crust. Never cover your pizza dough clear to the edge; it's just not done in polite circles.

Perfect Pizza Rule #3:
All ingredients on your pizza should finish cooking at the same time. If need be, pre-cook toppings that take longer to cook, like bell peppers. Likewise, pre-cook foods that tend to get watery, like eggplant and thick-sliced mushrooms, unless you want pizza soup.

Perfect Pizza Rule #4:
Cool all cooked ingredients before applying them to the dough. Hot toppings on pizza dough will ruin the dough. Again, pizza soup.

Perfect Pizza Rule #5:
Less is more. Avoid putting 'some of everything' on your pizza. As a rule, use only 2 or 3 well-chosen toppings. There are always exceptions, though.

Perfect Pizza Rule #6:
Bake your pizzas in a very hot oven. A 500° oven is perfect. A lower temperature is OK if your oven doesn't go that high; just cook it a little longer. Crisp, restaurant-quality pizza calls for cooking it on a pizza stone. A pizza stone and peel set is recommended.
Source: http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/perfectpizzarules.html

For other great ideas, search the Internet like I did. Here is a place that has lots of pizza recipes: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,homemade_pizza_sauce,FF.html