Jenni's Homemade Pizza and Sauce

This recipe is from my sister-in-law Jenni:

Makes 2 Pizzas

Crust:
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp oil

Combine water and yeast, then add sugar, flour, salt, and oil. Mix well with hands and let dough sit, covered in a warm place, for 1 hour. Punch down and form into two pizza crusts on two pans.


Sauce (amounts on the spices are flexible, I often add a little less or even leave out spices I don't like so much, since I think the sauce has plenty of spices!)
16 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp chives
1 tsp basil
1 shake thyme
1 shake marjoram
1 1/2 tsp anis seed
1 tsp sugar

This makes a lot more sauce than we ever use on two pizzas so I usually end up freezing up to half and using it the next time I make pizza.


Bake pizzas at 400 degrees for 20 min. Switch the places of the pizzas in the oven and bake for another 10 min until well done. For a crispy crust, take pizzas off the pan for the last 10 min.


Thin Crust:
And if you prefer thin crust, here is a good recipe (I actually prefer this crust to the one above):

1 teaspoon(s)	active dry yeast
1 teaspoon(s)	sugar
2 cup(s)	flour
1/2 teaspoon(s)	sea salt
1/4 cup(s)	olive oil

1. Stir the yeast, sugar, and 3/4 cup warm (110 degrees F) water together and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Pulse flour and salt together in a food processor. Stream in the yeast mixture and oil through the feed tube while continuing to pulse until a shaggy dough is formed.
3. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until dough is elastic. Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl. Cover with a dampened towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. Punch the dough down to deflate, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes more. For a perfect crust, place risen dough on floured surface. Punch down with knuckles. Flour dough, hands, and rolling pin. Roll dough in long, even strokes. Top with sauce and toppings and bake pizzas at 500 degrees for 15 min.