Frugal Homemade Pizza

I mentioned on my facebook status a few days ago that we had homemade pizza for Saturday night supper!  It has become our latest family night tradition.  We eat pizza (homemade, or sometimes Little Caesar's.  Even as cheap as you can buy Little Caesar's, I did figure it is cheaper to make mine at home.) and watch "This Old House" or "Ask This Old House" on PBS.  If we are eating late, we might catch "Antiques Road Show" too.  I think it is great that my boys think that this is a fun thing to do! :)
Anyway, I said that I would share the recipe.  Here goes....

Homemade Pizza Crust (made in bread machine)
1 1/4 - 1 3/8 cups water
3 tbsp. olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. active dry yeast
Place ingredients in bread machine pan.  Set on "dough" cycle and let the machine work for you.  When dough cycle is finished, place dough on a floured surface.  This amount will make one deep dish 14 inch round pizza, or 2 thin crust pizzas (12 inch).  The last time I made one thin crust and one small deep dish (9 inch) pizzas.
 Toppings:
14 oz. jar pizza sauce (did not even use the full amount)
2 cups mozzarella cheese (or more, if you really love cheesey pizza!!)
pepperoni, canadian bacon, pineapple chunks (these are our favorites), anything you love on your pizza!

For a thin crust:  Roll out dough to desired size and place on pizza pan, or pizza stone.  Spread pizza sauce* over top.  Sprinkle cheese, and any other toppings over the cheese.  Bake in a preheated 400* oven for about 15 minutes on lowest oven rack.

For deep dish:  Press dough into greased deep dish pan.  Sprinkle cheese on the dough first.  (This will prevent the crust from getting soggy.)  Then add toppings, with the final topping of pizza sauce*.  Bake in a preheated 425* oven for 20 - 25 minutes on lowest oven rack.

*A note about pizza sauce: my family does not like a lot of sauce on their pizza, so I am able to get by using less than a 14 ounce jar for 2 pizzas (or one deep dish).  I have not found the perfect pizza sauce recipe (to my husband's liking anyway ;), but will certainly share it with you, when I do!!!)
Also, I think the amount of toppings for a pizza, is personal preference, so my amounts might be different than yours!  :)

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Enjoy your pizza!  :)
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