Calendar Pick of the Week: Family Day 2007

Today is Family Day 2007: A day to eat dinner with your family. Family Day was started by CASA - the National Center for Substance and Addiction Abuse, in 2001, as a national movement that encourages parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and be involved in their children’s lives as simple, effective ways to reduce substance abuse among children and teens.

So, in honor of family day, and sitting down with your families for good conversation and food, I thought I would share a fun family-favorite recipe!

It doesn't matter what I top this with, this pizza dough recipe rocks. It is easy and so, so good.

Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T olive oil
1 3/4 cup warm water

1) In a kitchen aid, blend the 4 cups of flour, yeast, and salt with a dough hook until combined. With the mixer running, pour the oil, then the water until a rough ball forms -30-40 seconds. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then mix for 1 minute.

2) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter top and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1- 1 1/2 hours.

3) Place an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Place a baking stone in the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

4) Divide the dough into 3 even pieces. Shape the pieces into a smooth rounds. Keep the pieces covered when you are not working the dough, so they won't dry out.

5) Uncover the balls and shape it into a 12-inch rounds. Transfer to the hot pizza stone, and add sauce and toppings. Bake 8-13 minutes, until crust is brown and cheese is golden in spots.

Notes: You can either half the recipe for 1 large pizza, or make the entire batch and freeze half the dough for later. Also, if you like crispier crust, don't let the dough rise for very long. If you prefer softer, fluffier crust, just let it rise longer than 2 hours.

Have a great dinner with your family tonight!