Friday is Pie Day at our house because we live by the BYOP - Build Yo Own Pizza! The kids love it and so do I, this recipe we’ve remixed to find a dough that fits our baby who is riddled with allergies, and the rest of us. There’s nothing better than a nice melty stone-fired pizza on a Friday night to take you into the weekend. This one is easy, gives a great crust, and keeps it light so let’s make this thing!

A few pieces of equipment for the easiest and the best pizza in the future: A stand mixer, pizza stone, and wooden pizza peel. If you don’t have these there are ways around it but these are GREAT investments.

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 5 cups bread flour (preferably unbleached & organic)

• 2 ¼ cups COLD water

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup sourdough starter (optional)

For the Toppings:

• 1 ½ cups tomato sauce

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 package organic uncured pepperoni

• This is a BYOP so it’s up to you! My wife requires jalapeños on her pepperoni pizza. I love to have sliced red onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, and some bacon. Sometimes we’ll do a classic Margherita with red sauce, globs of mozzarella, and fresh basil. Do you boo!

Instructions:

The dough can be done by hand but it’s much faster/easier in a stand mixer. Got my Kitchen Aid at Costco

1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and active dry yeast.

2. Prepare the Dough: Add your cold water & sourdough starter (optional) and mix on low. Mix until a dough forms for about 6-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If looking too dry add additional olive oil.

3. Rise: Cut dough into 4 pieces for larger pizza (8 for medium), space out on an oiled baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.

4. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 550°F (230°C) or your smoker to the highest is can go (my Traeger is 500°F) with your pizza stone in place. Smack dough down on a floured surface. Sprinkle with flour then, starting in the center, press and spin to flatten & lengthen your dough into the pizza shape. If you wanna look fancy and try the toss, flatten/lengthen some then place on top of both fists. Spin, toss, and catch until thin. then place atop a corn meal-covered peel.

5. Add Toppings: Spread tomato sauce evenly over the dough, followed by a generous layer of mozzarella cheese. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, black olives, and diced red onions.

6. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.

7. Garnish and Enjoy: Remove the pizza from the oven, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Allow it to cool slightly before slicing and serving. For some extra zang, drizzle with hot honey and balsamic glaze instead!