Homemade Pizza Made Magic

Endlessly customizable, endlessly delicious—especially with fresh dough!

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Oh, man. Pizza.

It's a classic dinner when you're not feeling like cooking. Call the place, pick your pizza, and then either pick it up or wait for it to be dropped off at your door. But unless you've got some really good, family owned Italian American place, chances are the pizza you're getting isn't anything that'll make you write home, right?

Right.

So what if I told you that making pizza from scratch is actually... stupidly easy? And that you get to be fully in charge of what goes on it (and therefore what magic goes into it)? Right up to the magic in the very crust itself?

In this recipe, I do all of that, and I do it in my mother's home country of Slovenia. There, they have paper packets of yeast that come pre-measured, though since I didn't have any measuring cups at the AirBnB we stayed in, I had no choice but to do things the old fashioned way: with actual cups and table spoons, not proper tools. It's all about the ratio at the end of the day (and knowing what dough is supposed to feel like when it's kneaded together enough)!

And for magic, of course, what's better than baking some prosperity, luck, and love into your dish with basil, wheat, tomato, and good smoked sausages (like salami and prosciutto)?

Magic in Homemade Pizza

As I said, you can do pretty much whatever you want with the pizza itself. If you want protection and ass-kicking power, call on peppers and onions. If you want to kill the old and bring in the new with themes of death and rebirth, add mushrooms and crack an egg on the top towards the end of baking. If you want prosperity, luck, and love, then get some basil in your marinara sauce and throw plenty of ham, prosciutto, or other pork meats on there.

With my pizza, the elements fire, earth, and water, with Venus and Mars, give you a recipe that blesses you with all the pomp and circumstance you want after putting in this kind of effort: the passion and fire to make your dreams happen, and the luck and prosperity to make all your work pay off (while also keeping you happy and loving to those around you in the meantime).

Homemade Pizza

Prep time: 30 minutes (with 4 hr dough rise)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes 6-8 Servings

Ingredients for Dough:

• 1 packet instant yeast

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• 3 cups of all purpose flour

• 1 cup of warm water

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1 jar marinara sauce

• 2 Tbsp oregano

• 1 Tbsp basil

• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder

• 1/2 Tbsp sugar

• 1/2 Tbsp black pepper

• 1 tsp red chili flakes

(Potential) Ingredients for Toppings:

• Mozzarella

• Gouda

• Prosciutto

• Ham

• Salami/Pepperoni

• Bell peppers

• Onions

• Mushrooms

and anything else you might want!

Directions:

• Mix sugar, yeast, and warm water together in a bowl.

• Add flour, olive oil, and salt, then mix until a cohesive dough ball. Add more flour if it's too sticky to work with.

• Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 2 to 4 hours, until doubled.

• Preheat the oven to 475 F.

• Mix your sauce jar with seasonings of your choice. Taste and adjust as necessary.

• Chop and prepare all your ingredients.

• Punch down dough, then work it with your hands and carefully stretch it out onto a pizza stone or pan until it gets to the edges. Don't rip or pull it too thin.

• Spread your sauce, add your cheese, and layer your toppings.

• Pop it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is browned and toppings are soft/melted.

• Serve hot!

Why go to the pizza place and spend money on a large pie when, with a little foresight, you can have your own pizza right there at home? This was easy, delicious, and fun (granted that you don't do what we do and try to grill it on an open fire on a cold and rainy day; results may vary wildly with that method). Try it out at home and get your house warm and toasty with a fresh pizza!