Fun Weekend Dinner: Homemade Pizza

We're having Ryan's 6th birthday party at home on a weeknight. It's a week early, because both my parents and my husband will be out of town for his whole birthday week, as well as both weekends near it. So, we're doing a Thursday evening birthday party. I love the idea of homemade pizza for a party, because it can be topped so that both kids and adults love it. Also, by making the pizza myself, I can control the grease content.

I've learned never to try recipes for the first time at a party, so we're having a practice pizza night tonight. I need to try out the dough. Also, I had a ton of tomatoes (again), so I made my own sauce that works for both tonight and Thursday night's party. There are many recipes for do-it-yourself pizza sauce, and there are some good store-bought pizza doughs, so this doesn't have to be so complicated. I think it can be easy enough for a weeknight treat.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

15 pounds tomatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 large cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2-3 Tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and quarter tomatoes. Put in a large stockpot. Cook on medium until tomatoes are falling apart and skins are loosened. Puree in a blender, then push through a sieve to remove skins and seeds. (For detailed instructions on doing this, see my post on making tomato sauce.)
2. Mince the garlic. Add the olive oil and garlic to a large non-reactive pot. Saute until the garlic is translucent. Stir in the strained sauce, the oregano, the basil, and the crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until reduced by half - 2-3 hours. If desired, stir in 2-3 Tablespoons of tomato paste to thicken it slightly.
3. Salt and pepper to taste. Sauce can be canned or stored in a tightly covered container for 7 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
(makes enough for 1 large or 4-6 individual pizzas. Crust is thin and very crispy)

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons warm water (105-110 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached bread flour
2 Tablespoons cornmeal

1. Mix water, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add dry ingredients. Mix with the dough hook attachment until dough is smooth and elastic - pulls away from sides of bowl but sticks to the bottom.
2. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about an hour. (To make individual pizzas, divide dough into 4 parts. Place several inches apart on an oiled baking sheet. Coat each ball with oil, then cover and let rise until doubled in size.
3. To roll out the dough, turn out onto a lightly floured board. Dust the top with flour. Gently press into a flat circle. Roll large pizza into a 14-inch circle, small pizzas into 6-8 inch circles.
4. To cook, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza stone in bottom of oven and let heat for 15-30 minutes. Place shaped dough onto stone, let bake for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cornmeal-dusted peel or bottom of baking sheet. Top as desired, then slide onto stone. Bake 12-15 minutes, until pizza and toppings are browned.

Pizza Topping Ideas:

• Red sauce, grilled vegetables, basil, goat cheese, parmesan
• Minced sauteed garlic, olive oil, grilled peppers and mushrooms, fresh mozzarella
• Pesto sauce, thinly sliced peaches, diced proscuitto, bleu cheese, provolone, drizzle with balsamic vinegar
• BBQ sauce, black beans, corn, green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon bits, cheddar, jack