Homemade Pizza

I love this pizza crust because it's so versatile and can easily be used to make breadsticks. It's also great when you want homemade pizza but don't want to waste a lot of time in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 tsp. active yeast or 1 (0.25) oz. package
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 8 oz. can of pizza sauce - Dei Fratelli is my favorite
• 3 cups cheese - I typically use mozzarella, but I forgot to unthaw it so I opted for a mix of cheddar and monterey jack 
• Chili powder
• Parmesan cheese
• Toppings - I used 1 lb. cooked Italian sausage, pepperoni (about 20 pieces), onion, and green pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water; let stand until it becomes frothy (10 minutes). Combine oil, salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder; add to yeast mixture. Stir in flour and mix until smooth. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes. Roll out onto a greased pizza pan or stone. Add toppings and sprinkle with chili powder and parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Depending on how you like your crust, you can either throw it in the oven for a few minutes prior to adding your toppings or add all of your toppings and then bake for a softer crust. 

If adding Italian seasoning and garlic powder to the dough doesn't sound appealing to you, then add it to your pizza sauce instead.