Weeknight Pizza Dough

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Pizza is probably my all-time favorite food.  I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and never get tired of it.  I don't care if it is homemade, frozen, delivery, cheap or expensive.  I'll eat it (as long as it only has meat and cheese on it).

I try and limit my pizza intake to only one night a week.  Not for health reasons, just so Chicken Legs doesn't get tired of it.  I usually buy a Chef Boyardee pizza kit (oh, the horror!) and add cheese and toppings.  We both really like it.  I really like it because it is quick and making pizza dough takes too long for a weeknight.  Well, not anymore.  I found this recipe and it takes less than 20 minutes - mixing and rising.  That is perfect!  We like thin crust pizza, so I only used half of the dough.  I used the extra dough for garlic knots.  This will be our regular pizza night recipe from now on.

2 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water (120-130°)
1 Tbsp. Rapid Rise or Bread Machine yeast
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat to 475°.

Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add hot water and olive oil. Mix for five minutes and then let the dough rest 10 minutes.  Roll out dough onto a piece of parchment paper (I trace my pizza stone onto parchment before placing it in the oven as a guide).   Prick dough with fork and add sauce, cheese and toppings.  Transfer pizza to hot pizza stone. (I use a flat cookie sheet to move the dough to the stone) Bake at 475° for  12-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

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