California Pizza Recipe (2024)

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I remember loving my mom’s homemade pizza. Now I’m happy to make it for my own family – and my son chomps it down happily. My mom always made a white cream sauce – that will be another post :).

Homemade pizza never gives me that “heavy” feeling like frozen or takeout does, even if I eat more than my fair share. Hope you and your family enjoy this California Pizza recipe. It’s a fun thing for kids and dads to do together – maybe for mothers day?…

Ingredients for California Pizza Dough:

3/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt

Ingredients for Toppings (what I used):

Red Pizza Sauce – our best homemade red sauce
2 cups (8-10 oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese
6 slices of deli ham, chopped or cut into strips
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 small red onion, finely sliced
6-7 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup Black olives, sliced

More topping ideas:

Fresh Basil Leaves, roughly tornprosciutto, pork or turkey sausages, pepperoni,red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned,or whatever else your heart desires.

How to Make Pizza Dough:

Making pizza dough in a bread-maker makes it sooo easy!

1. Add 3/4 cup water and 1 Tbsp of dry yeast in the bread maker and let it stand for a 3-5minutes.

2. Next, add1/2 Tbsp of honey, 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cups + 2 Tbsp of flour, 3/4 tsp of saltin the bread-maker in the order they are listed and selectthe dough setting.

Mine takes about an hour. The dough will be sticky and it will be easy to work with once it’s oiled.

NOTE:

Using a mixer or kneading by hand method: Put warm water in a large bowl, add the yeast and let stand for a few minutes. Add honey and olive oil. Add flour, then the salt and mix until well-combined (use a dough hook on speed 2 with a mixer).The dough should be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume.

Prep the Sauce while the dough is rising: Our Easy Red Sauce takes a few minutes and is a no-cooking required sauce.

1. When the dough is ready, preheat the Oven to 415˚F. Drizzle another 2 Tbsp oil onto a large baking sheet. Transfer the dough onto the oiled baking sheet and turn it a couple times to make sure the dough is covered in oil.

2. Roll the dough out in the cookie sheet.(I use my handy“Chef Roller“ for this job. It saves a potentially messy step (transferringthe dough after it’s rolled out) and you don’t have to clean your counter tops afterwards) and spread on the pizza sauce.

3. Spread on the cheese, ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and onions.

4. Bake at 415˚F for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is crisp and toppings are cooked.

Now, marvel at your masterpiece! Your family will be so impressed and it’s really easy.