BEST Pizza EVER!

I loved this pizza recipe! This was my first homemade pizza crust attempt and it was perfect! I used fresh mozzarella & sharp cheddar cheese, Muir glen pizza sauce. However, I did not use any oregano, basil, bell peppers or turkey pepperoni. Trying to keep it simple and it was delicious!

Simply Cheesy Tammy's Easy Pizza

12-16 slices

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 cup water (110-115 degrees, preferably)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 Tablesppoons butter, melted or very softened

2 1/2 cups flour

1 Tablespoon yeast

Other Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup pizza sauce

12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

sliced onions, optional

chopped bell peppers, optional

turkey pepperoni, fried turkey bacon, or fried hamburger, optional

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon basil

2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. If using a bread machine to make pizza dough, put ingredients in bread machine in order listed and set to dough setting.

If making dough by hand, mix water, butter, and sugar in mixing bowl. Add part of the flour and stir. Add the rest of the flour and the yeast, and stir into a dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Set dough in bowl and grease the top. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes.*

2. After dough has risen the first time, punch down and knead until air bubbles are removed.

3. Liberally butter a 16-inch round pizza pan, and press dough onto pan. Carefully lift one-half of the crust and fold over (to expose half of the pizza pan). Sprinkle 1/2 Tablespoon cornmeal over pan. Lay crust back in place and repeat on other half, so that there is cornmeal sprinkled between entire layer of crust and pan.

4. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over top of crust and then spread with 1 cup pizza sauce. Sprinkle on cheese and any optional toppings desired. Sprinkle on oregano, basil, and parmesan cheese last.

5.** Place pizza in oven and turn heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes; rotate crust and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until top is browned. (Be sure to watch so it doesn't burn; every oven is different!)

6. When pizza is browned, turn off heat and open oven door. Leave pizza in oven until ready to serve. Then remove from oven, cut, and serve. If there is leftover pizza, we often put the pieces directly on a cooling rack to cool, which prevents condensation forming between the crust and pan.

Another fresh start in the cooking world

Shout out to all the parents and married folks out there who love to cook! Yay! I love to cook but not with a one year old strapped to my leg, so I cook during his naps! Today I made Blueberry Pancakes! I made one to try since, I'm new to homemade cooking. The rest I stuck in the freezer for another day. Here is the recipe I used, it's very delicious!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup fresh blueberries
Unsalted butter to cook the pancakes

PREPARATION
1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

2. In another bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk and melted unsalted butter and mix well.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently, preferably with a spatula, just until the ingredients are all wet. The batter should be lumpy. Do not over mix!

4. In a pan, melt 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Ladle the batter into the pan 1/3 of a cup at a time. Depending on the size of your pan you can make 2 or 3 pancakes at a time. If you want smaller pancakes use less batter.

5. Sprinkle the blueberries over the pancakes and cook until bubbles appear along the edges and surface of the pancakes. The edges will begin to brown slightly (should take 2 or 3 minutes).

6. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.

7. Serve the pancakes with butter and maple syrup.

8. Enjoy!

Fondant 101

I have a few tips about messing with fondant...

• Don't wait until the last minute to make it, for the first time :)
• It dries out really fast
• Watch others put it on, first. (Youtube worked for me)

That being said...

Welcome to Batter Be Delicious!