Homemade Thin Crust Pizza

This thin crust pizza comes together quickly for a weeknight dinner when you do a little prep ahead.

Each element of the pizza has it's own story that makes it a frugal meal. Read on after the recipe to learn more.

Serves: (1) 12 inch pizza serves two with sides.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup No Fuss Pizza Sauce (coming soon)
• 1/4 recipe Easy Crispy Thin Crust Pizza Dough (enough for (1) 12inch pizza)
• 3-4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1 inch pieces; or 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• Toppings of choice - remember to go light on toppings and precook any vegetables or meats to avoid a soggy crust.
• 3 basil leaves, cut into ribbons
• 1/2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• Cornmeal for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Move oven rack to top position. If using a pizza stone or cast iron pan, place in the oven to preheat.
2. Prep ingredients. When you get to step 6 you will want to move quick.
3. Follow dough recipe directions for rolling out dough.
4. Once oven is preheated. Place dough onto cornmeal dusted parchment paper or pizza peel, or press into oiled and cornmeal dusted sheet pan. Top with a thin layer of sauce from edge to edge. See pizza dough recipe and Tools of the Trade below for tips).
5. Transfer dough to hot oven. Bake sauced dough for 5 minutes.
6. Remove sauced dough from the oven. Add cheese and toppings of choice. You do not want to completely cover the pizza, some sauce should still be visible. If you like a saucy pizza. Add a few small dabs of sauce on top of the cheese.
7. Return pizza to the oven. Cook an additional 7-8 minutes, edges of crust should be brown and pizza will move freely on pan.
8. Top pizza with Parmesan cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting.

What Makes Homemade Pizza Frugal Choice?

Scratch Made Ingredients & Tips for Success

The Crust - made from scratch using simple ingredients. I made a double batch (enough for 4 small pizzas), and froze the dough balls for later use.

The Sauce - also made from scratch using crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices. One batch makes a generous three cups. I freeze the sauce in 1 cup mason jars for later use. This thin crust pizza uses about 1/3 cup of sauce.

    *See that little condiment cup on the left? We got takeout a few days ago, I saved the marinara dipping sauce and and mixed it into my homemade pizza sauce. Don't throw those takeout sauces away!

The Cheese - fresh mozzarella is the star of the show here. Buy it on sale with a plan, as it does not keep well. Use just enough to cover the pizza, to much will make the dough soggy.

    *Shredded mozzarella or your pizza cheese can be used in place of fresh mozzarella. The same principle still applied, don't use to much, you should still be able to see the sauce through the (unbaked) cheese.

    *Freeze shredded cheese as-is in the bag if you don't think you will use it within 2 weeks of opening. Frozen shredded cheese thaws very quickly at room temperature. 

The Finish - a few leaves of basil and parsley from the garden, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of dried oregano (from last year's garden) give this pizza a perfect fresh finish.

The Toppings - for this pizza I used about 10 sliced of pepperoni cut in half. The key will any pizza is to go lighter than you think you should on ingredients, and cook any ingredients in a skillet ahead of time that may release water or excess grease during the cooking process (peppers, onions, mushrooms, sausage, etc).

Tools of the Trade

Homemade pizza dough takes practice, here are some tips to get you started.

If your looking for a crispy crust, a pizza stone or cast-iron skillet will give you the best chance of success. For this recipe I used a flat 11 inch cast iron skillet, preheated in the oven. I've also used a medium pizza stone for this recipe. If you have neither of these, a sheet pan will also do the job.

Do I need a pizza peel? Absolutely not!  Trace the outside of your pan on a piece of parchment paper, stretch or roll your dough to size, and simply place it on the pan/stone once the pan/stone is preheated. Use the back of a sheet pan as a makeshift peel to aid you in sliding the pizza and parchment onto the hot pan/stone.

    *Note, it is important to trim your parchment to the size of your dough before placing in the oven to prevent the paper from burning.

I do have a pizza peel (picked up free at the give-and-go shed at the town transfer station - still in box), a sprinkle of cornmeal and flour and the dough slides right off.

    *Tip - cornmeal goes rancid quickly. Once you open the package, store it in the freezer and use it right from frozen for baking/cooking.

Remember, if using a cast-iron pan or a pizza stone, you will want to preheat it in your oven. You do not need to grease the pan/stone.

Serve It Up

This 10ish inch pizza served the two of us for dinner with a side of chips and fruit. It would also be great paired with a salad, raw veggies, or fries. If you have a large appetite or plan to eat this pizza with no sides, one pizza per person would be more fitting.