Today I tried to make a homemade pizza from scratch.
I hate to admit it, but I had never made any type of yeast bread before today.
Sad, I know, but I've always been afraid to try my hand at making bread with yeast.
Well, that, and I have such an issue with instant gratification when it comes to carbs (my favorite food group) that the thought of waiting such a long time for dough to rise is simply not appealing to me. If I'm in the mood for fresh bread, then I want it right now!
But I am now trying to make myself into more of a cook, for the sake of both my bank account and my pride. I'm 33 years old, a mother of three kids and wife to one hungry husband who all value the taste of their food, yet I've rarely done much more than follow the directions on the box when it comes to cooking.
I'm still waiting for the day when I cook something and hear the words, "Wow, Joy, that tasted awesome!" but until that time, I'll continue to try out recipes and improve my cooking skills—such as they are.
But I did manage to make homemade pizza today (crust and sauce); and although it didn't get the gourmet nod, it did satisfy some appetites, which is something at least. And I was even a little surprised that the entire process of making the homemade pizza dough was a lot easier than I expected.
Maybe I'll really go out on a limb this week and attempt to bake a whole loaf of bread—if I can just find a good recipe.
That's why I have it billed as simple pizza crust. It works and it is not like cardboard compared to a lot of pizza doughs I've been experimenting with. Until I find the dough that is about the same level of work, without a laundry list of special flours, it's going to have to do. I've been experimenting and I'll let you know when I have that magic recipe of perfection, although I'm beginning to believe it's either going to require effort or money and I'm not sure how much of each I'm willing to invest. 😉
Then again, this one does freeze well, which is nice for cooking ahead.
What did you think of the sauce?
I think that pizza looks delicious Joy! Your hard work and willingness to attempt new things is so inspiring. Keep up the good work!
I put off yeast breads for a LONG time too, until Eric finally pointed out to me that the worst that could happen was that we'd have to throw away whatever I made. Since then I've gotten a bit braver in trying new things, and my skill level has gone up too. I typically bake at least two yeast breads a week now. (Although there have been at least a dozen things that have had to get thrown away also!)
I have two good, reliable recipes that are pretty easy and always taste wonderful. One is for English muffin bread and the other is for Tomato Basil bread. I'll pass along either of the recipes if you're interested.
Do you have a bread machine? I have a great recipe that you can pop into the bread machine that's for breadsticks as well as pizza crust and it's super easy!
Let me know if you want it! 🙂