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Pizza (from How to Cook Everything Kids)

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Makes 4 to 8 servings 1x

Time About 1 hour

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • About 1 cup warm water
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend (if you like)
  • 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 12 ounces)
  • 1 or 2 extra toppings from the list below (if you like)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and make sure there’s a rack in the bottom half. Coat the sides and bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or dish (glass or ceramic is okay too) with some olive oil.
  2. Put the 1/3 cup olive oil in a large bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Use a soft spatula to stir in 3/4 cup of the warm water with a tossing and pressing motion. The dough should be wet but crumbly. If there are dry bits of flour, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, being careful not to overmix. Grab clumps of the dough and press them into the prepared pan or dish so that you make an even layer in the bottom, all the way to the edges.
  3. Scrape the tomato paste into a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons warm water, the Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt if you like. Stir with a fork until smooth. Spread or dab the tomato sauce on top of the crust, careful not to tear the dough. It’s okay if it’s not smeared perfectly evenly.
  4. Put the pan in the lower half of the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Then when the timer goes off, take the pan out of the oven.
  5. Carefully scatter the cheese on top of the sauce and 5 put 1 or 2 toppings over the top if you’re using them. Return the pizza to the oven and set the timer for another 15 minutes.

  6. The pizza is ready when the crust is golden around the edges, puffffed in the middle, and the cheese is hot and bubbly. If it’s not ready when the timer goes offff, check again in 5 minutes. Let the fifinished pizza cool for 5 minutes before cutting. You can cut it into any size squares you like. For triangles, cut each square in half across from one corner to another. (Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to a couple months and reheat in the microwave for 1 to 3 minutes.)