Weekend Pantry Meal - Pizza Love

We spent most of our day at a wedding for a lovely friend. We wish him the best! :D

And even though I was tired when we returned home, I still had the energy to whip this one together. I have to credit the lovely Nigella for inspiring this - it's based off of her Pizza Rustica recipe {found in one of my all time fave books, "How to be a Domestic Goddess."} I've made a bunch of modifications of my own, but still wanted to credit the inspiration... The baking method is pretty much the same, with shortened times. The best thing about this? I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand - and none of them are pricey.

This recipe makes 2 sheet pans worth - because, well, we all love cold pizza...

Weekend Pizza
3 ½ c. all purpose flour

2 heaping tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sea salt

Measure into a deep bread bowl, or your stand mixer bowl. Toss together to combine.

1 ¼ c. warm water {warm enough to activate the yeast, but not hot!}

Add warm water and toss again, until it becomes a shaggy mess.

2 T olive oil

Add olive oil and knead together. In a stand mixer approx. 5 minutes fitted with a dough hook. If you’re hand kneading, about 10 minutes.

Cover with a clean towel and leave to rise in a warm spot until it’s doubled in size.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

Divide the dough in half and press onto a sheet pan covered with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes.

1 c. marinara sauce

12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 -4 oz. your favorite cheddar

Cover each crust with1/2 c. of your favorite marinara sauce {mine comes from this fabulous company}, ½ of the shredded cheeses, and your favorite toppings.

We like ham, pepperoni, sometimes ham and pineapple, and every once in a while – taco. {I typically raid the fridge and see what's hanging around from the week. If we've had tacos, we may do a taco pizza with the leftover meat, etc.}

Bake an additional 8-10 minutes at 500 degrees, and you get this:
I do have to warn that I bill this a weekend item, only because it typically takes a good 30-60 minutes to rise. ;) Once you get used to working around that, it's not an issue anymore. Just be sure to start your dough early enough...

I was hoping for some creative time this weekend, buuuut.... not so sure. Feeling a bit tired after our day out! lol

If you get a chance to try this, let me know what you think! I'd love to see your version - feel free to link up in the comments!