Using the bread machine to make PIZZA!

Lately I've been seriously craving pizza. I normally enjoy trying out new pizzerias in my area, in search of that perfect crust+topping combination (that reminds me, I'll have to post some reviews for my local pizza shops) but being kind of broke and too lazy to drive out in search for the perfect pizza I decided that I'd make it myself. Now, you may be saying to yourself... "if you're too lazy to drive and buy pizza, how are you possibly un-lazy enough to spend time making your own pizza". Well, my first response would be... I am so dangerously addicted to baking and cooking that I don't even see it as work, and it actually invigorates me... and gives me more energy to power on through the rest of the day. Weird eh? And my second response would be... I have a bread machine to do most of the hard work for me! Yeah!

After my bread machine pumped out some amazingly tasty sticky-buns, I was ready to try making something on the more savory side. I was ready to find out how the machine would fair in making a pizza crust... and it did not disappoint.

Homemade Bread Machine-Assisted Pizza
Yields 2 pizza crusts

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water (warm at around 90F)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 1/4 cup bread flour (I used 3 1/4 cups AP flour + 1 cup whole wheat flour)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast

Method:
1. Measure ingredients into bread pan, in order listed
2. Select DOUGH setting.
3. Press START
4. Wait for bread to finish and COMPLETE SIGNAL to sound
5. Remove dough from the pan, place in a large ceramic bowl that has been well greased. Cover bowl with cling-wrap and let dough sit for 10 minutes.
6. Divide dough in half, roll each half into a circle large enough for your 2 pizza pans. Grease the 2 pizza pans with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
7. Place one rolled-dough circle onto one pan, pinch edges to make a crust and then top with pizza sauce, cheese and your choice of toppings. Repeat for second rolled-dough circle.
8. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes, or until edges are golden and cheese is bubbling.


My mom and dad really enjoyed the pizza! They were surprised at how much it tasted like an authentic pizza from a classy Italian pizzeria. It tasted much more fresh than those frozen Delissio pizza we usually eat. And since we made the crust ourselves, we were able to put whatever we wanted on the pizza which is always fun! By making our own pizzas, we can guarantee the freshness of ingredients, and also guarantee that no body will be picking topping pieces off of their slice! I'm glad I tried out this recipe, and I think my parents are starting to appreciate the money I put in to buying the bread machine... whew! When you're parents begin to accept that a pricey purchase is truly valuable, that's always a good thing :)