Homemade pizza crust and sauce

We like pizza around here. Except for the Princess, who threw up after eating pizza last year and hasn't touched it since. Nice visual, huh? We have pizza night often because it's quick, easy and yummy.

It's quick because I make a no-rise pizza crust. I let my Kitchenaid mixer do most of the work, so it's very easy. And it's yummy because I've started making my own sauce, thanks to a recipe shared by my sister-in-law Jennifer. I tweaked it just a bit, as is my way. It's so much better than any sauce from a jar!

Here's the crust recipe:

1 cup warm (not hot) water
1 TBSP yeast
1 tsp sugar

Mix these together in a bowl and let proof for about 10 minutes. The sugar feeds the yeast and helps it grow. It should look something like this.


When the mixture has proofed, add:

2 TBSP olive oil
2 1/2 cups flour (I use half white, half wheat)
1 tsp salt

Knead this for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Let rest for about 5 minutes. This makes it easier to form the crust in a pan or on a pizza stone.

If you're using a pan, spritz it with cooking spray or olive oil. Sprinkle a little corn meal over the pan. Roll out the dough to the edges of the pan or stone.



Top with sauce and your favorite pizza toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, longer if you use a small pan for a thicker crust.


If you plan ahead and make the dough a few days before using it, the crust is so chewy and delicious! Just mix the dough and place in a covered bowl in the fridge. Roll it out when you're ready to fix your pizza!

For the sauce you'll need:

1 can (29 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary

Whisk all ingredients together in a sauce pan; simmer 2 or 3 hours. Stir occasionally. The longer you let this simmer, the thicker it will be.


This recipe makes enough sauce for 4 large pizzas. You can easily freeze it in Ziploc bags in the portions you need. To thaw, simply remove the bag from the freezer and place in a bowl of warm water. It should be ready to use in 10-15 minutes. Or if you're organized and thaw things the night before you need them, just put the bag in the fridge. It will be ready to go the next day.

In no time at all, you can have homemade pizza that leaves Papa John's in the dust!