Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Wouldn’t pizza night be better if you made it from scratch? This recipe is for a pepperoni pizza, but you can add or change any topping you desire. Personally, I’d make mine vegetarian. Makes a 12” pizza Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2⁄3 cup water (11O°F to 115°F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄8 ounce package fast rise yeast or 1/8 ounce package active dry yeast
1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour or 1 3/4 cups bread flour 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)
3/4 cup marinara sauce
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 ounces sliced pepperoni
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Combine water and sugar in small bowl; stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top; stir to combine. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until foamy. Combine flour and salt in medium bowl. Stir in yeast mixture. Mix until mixture forms soft dough. Remove dough to lightly floured surface. Knead 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. 

Place dough in medium bowl coated with nonstick cooking spray. Turn dough in bowl so top is coated with cooking spray; cover with towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down; place on lightly floured surface and knead about 2 minutes or until smooth. Pat dough into flat disc about 7 inches in diameter. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes. Pat and gently stretch dough from edges until dough seems to not stretch anymore. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes. Continue patting and stretching until dough is 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Spray 12- to 14-inch pizza pan with nonstick spray; sprinkle with commeal, if desired. Press dough into pan. 

Preheat oven to 5OOF. Spread marinara over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 16 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese melts. Yum Yum: