Homemade Pizza That Tastes Good

I’m not exactly a pizza connoisseur, but I love me a good pizza. I’m terribly spoiled, because I live in Upstate New York, where there are more pizza parlors than people (so it seems). I have tried my hand at making a good homemade pizza, but have failed miserably.

My daughter, however, makes GREAT homemade pizza! OMG this is amazing!!!

We made the crust in the bread machine, a simple white bread dough. We allow it to rise and then we stretch it out in a pan. Allow it to rise again.

I always failed in the next step– from there, I always spread the sauce and cheese and baked it. But the daughter baked the bare dough for just a few minutes before she added the toppings. The crust turned out perfect.

Her toppings are amazing. She used canned pizza sauce (not spaghetti sauce!). She chopped up and cooked frozen meatballs. She used plenty of pepperoni. She steamed fresh broccoli. She slathered on mozzarella cheese (I think she used about 45 ounces of cheese for 4 pizzas!). She spread freshly chopped garlic and plenty of Italian seasoning (dried) herbs. And she baked it all again.

IT WAS MARVELOUS. The pizza was very filling and so delicious. It wasn’t greasy like pizza-parlor pizza, either– the cheese was more like the consistency of egyptian magic cream– smooth and flexible but not oily and runny.

Yeah, it was a lot of work. And yeah, it was expensive. The cheese alone costs $10 per 30-ounce bag. Ouch. Pizza is just an expensive meal, which is so ironic because it was invented as a cheapo means to use up leftovers.

I also think homemade pizza is more healthy. Which gives us another excuse to make it again!

Bread Machine Apple Donuts

OK, I totally stole this from Scribbit about a year ago. I hate that woman– she can make and eat these things and not gain a SCRAP of weight!!! Gah!! And then she publishes it on her blog for all us “well-endowed” ladies to see! Gahhh!!!

*sigh*

Oh yeah– we JUST feed these to the kids, right. Yeah.

Well, judging SOLELY by the expressions on the kids faces as they devour these donuts, I can tell that they certainly must be exquisitely delicious. So here’s the recipe for the donuts. For your kids to eat. And there’s not so much sugar that your kids will glow like outdoor lights… but let’s just say that they won’t be lacking any energy for a while, haha!

Bread Machine Apple Donuts

Add all the following ingredients to your bread machine:

1 cup milk
1/4 cup wheat germ (to make you feel like you’d added something healthy)
3 3/4 cups flour (sorry, girls– it’s WHITE flour)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons brown sugar (I make my own, it’s healthier)
1 large grated apple
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon fast-acting yeast

You will also need:
A separate bowl with melted butter
A separate bowl with cinnamon and white sugar (or sucanat)

Set your bread machine to “Dough” setting, and start ‘er up.

When the dough is done, take it out of the bread machine and shape into 14 donuts on a cookie sheet. Allow them to rise for about 30 minutes (cover them with a clean cloth to keep flies, drafts, and preteen fingers away). Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Immediately take each donut and dip it in the butter, then roll the donut in the cinnamon and sugar mix until coated. Allow to cool.

Devour immediately. Serve to your adoring family.