Perfect Pizza Crust - using a bread machine

I have a guilty pleasure. It's pizza. Man, let me tell you, I love pizza - I could eat it every week, on a daily basis, and not get sick of it.

I don't, of course, but I totally would. My husband loves pizza too, but not passionately as I do, LOL. Since getting my bread machine, I decided I'd like to try to make my own pizza crust. I've used pre-made pizza crusts before, from Pillsbury, or box mixes, or frozen dough. Those are good, and all... but what if I could do it better? And cheaper?

Turns out, a bread machine can make a pretty delicious pizza crust. This is an easy meal to make and better than driving to your local pizza place or waiting for a delivery. This recipe makes about a medium to large size pizza, depending on how thick or thin you like your crust. Check it out:


Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water - 100 to 110 degrees F (40 to 45 degrees C) 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon garlic and italian seasoning (optional, but gives a nice touch of flavor)

1/4 teaspoon white sugar 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

1.

Pour the warm water into the pan of the bread machine, and add the flour on top of the water. Sprinkle with salt and sugar, and top with the yeast. Set the machine on the dough setting, and push the start button. When the machine signals that the dough is finished, transfer to a well-floured work surface.

2.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

3.

Roll or stretch the dough out into thin crust about 14 inches across. Leave dough thick at the edge. Place the dough onto a 14-inch pizza baking sheet, and brush the dough with the olive oil. I also suggest sprinkling garlic powder and salt onto the dough after the olive oil for an extra bit of flavor.

4.

Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes before removing to top with desired ingredients for final baking. I used Classico traditional pizza sauce, with shredded mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni, and then baked for 12 minutes. The crust had a nice crisp to it on the outside, and was soft and a bit chewy on the inside, just perfect for me. I can't wait to try this recipe with hawaiian toppings - ham, onion, and pineapple. Yummy!