You want something fast and easy for dinner. Almost everyone loves pizza. You can make your own quicker than the pizza delivery person can get to your house. Here is a recipe from Sarah Fritschner’s Vegatarain Express Lane Cookbook. The cookbook is out of print but well worth obtaining a copy from online sources or used book stores. The recipes are easy and fast. I use the pizza recipe once a week. She also gives you a recipe for a pizza crust mix which make up to 10 pizzas which are 12 inches in diameter. Each 3 and 3/4 cup of mix makes two 12 inch pizzas. When I had third grade brownies, they make this pizza themselves with only a little assistance from me. It’s so easy a third grader can do it.

pizza,quick,easy meals

Simple Pizza

Dough

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 package active dry yeast (I use the rapid-rise yeast)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup minus 2 tablespoons hot tap water

Topping (or you can use spaghetti sauce in a jar)

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegatable oil

3 garlic cloves, minced (I just use the stuff in a jar - tastes fine)

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 - 2 cups grated cheese (I just buy the packaged shredded bag that says Pizza cheese or Italian cheese)

To make dough: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt with a wooden spoon. Stir to mix, then add hot tap water and stir well. Use your hands when dough gets too stiff to stir with the spoon. Fold and flatten dough repeatedly, (you can do this right in the bowl) adding flour if mixture gets too sticky. When dough is smooth, form it into a ball and place it in a bowl.  Set the bowl in a sink containing 2 inches of hottest tap water. (If you don’t have room in the sink use a larger bowl and fill it halfway with hot water). It can stay there for as little as 10 minutes and for up to 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

To make topping: In a small pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and, when it begins to color, about 1 minute, add tomato sauce,basil and oregano. OR Just heat up a jar of spaghetti sauce. Cook for 1 minute, then set aside.

To assemble and bake: Generously grease 1 or 2 pizza pans, a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. You can use a rimmed cookie sheet. Stretch or press dough in to desired thickness. Cover with tomato sauce to within half inch of edge. Sprinkle with cheese.

Place pan on the bottom rack of the oven and bake until the cheese browns and bubbles, about 15 minutes.

Serves 4

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