The Mister makes really good pizza. He usually makes it on a Sunday night and the smell of the dough rising and the garlic sautéing make us feel like we are going to burst with hunger. He's perfected his pizza over time and now it is just the way we like it — white spelt four, whole milk mozzarella, sweet Italian chicken sausage, caramelized onions, and tomato sauce with fresh parsley. He makes plain cheese pizza for the kids (of course) and it's the only dinner (besides Burgerville) that the kids actually look forward to eating. And it's the only other dinner that Perry eats besides an egg-on-toast. I still don't know where we went wrong with that one.
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UPDATETo everyone who asked for the recipe, thank you for being so patient!
Smith Family Pizza
- Preheat oven to 450˚F and place pizza stone inside oven.
- For dough: Dissolve 2 tsp. yeast into 1 cup of warm water and add a pinch of sugar; let it sit until frothy. In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 2 tbsp. sugar (sugar is optional here). Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture, and whisk. Add another 1 cup of flour and 2 tbsp. olive oil and whisk until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it starts to pull away from the sides and a shaggy dough forms. Dump dough out onto a floured surface and knead. Add flour as needed so it is no longer sticky and a smooth ball forms. Rinse and dry your mixing bowl and coat the sides with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Swish the dough around the bowl so it is coated with oil, then cover with a dishcloth and set aside.
- For toppings: Julienne 1 yellow onion. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook onion over medium-low heat until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove onion and set aside in a separate bowl. Without cleaning pan, add 1 tblsp. more olive oil and add 1/2 lb. sausage (bulk or casings removed) and cook over medium heat until browned. Set aside. Grate 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese and set aside.
- For sauce: In a small saucepan, sauté 2–3 cloves garlic in 2 tbsp. olive oil over low heat; stirring frequently, about 2 minutes (don't overcook or let brown). Add 8 oz. tomato sauce and mix until fully incorporated. Add 1–2 tbsp. fresh, finely chopped parsley and 2 pinches of sugar (optional); salt to taste. Keep on low heat and let simmer for awhile, adding more olive oil if necessary.
- Finish dough: Turn dough out onto a floured surface and start forming the dough (using either a rolling pin or your hands) into the size and shape you want (ours is a 14" circle), adding flour as necessary. Remove pizza stone from oven, and quickly transfer dough to stone (by folding it or by using a paddle), making sure the dough is not too sticky (it will ruin the dough if it is). Prick surface of dough with a fork.
- Assemble pizza: Pour on sauce and spread it out to the sides; top with onion and sausage, then cover with mozzarella. Top with parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes or until browned.
- Enjoy!


