Homemade Pizza

Pizza may have its roots in Italy, but in the last two decades it's become an American staple with all kinds of variations.

Probably the best pizza you'll ever eat can be made in your kitchen if you buy your own ingredients and make a hearty whole wheat crust. (Use white flour if you prefer.) The toughest part is waiting 15 minutes for the dough to rise, but it's worth every moment—and after you get the hang of it, you can have a piping hot pie sitting on your table in about the time it takes the pizzeria to deliver one.

Because you're making it, your choice (and amount) of cheese and toppings is almost endless.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 packet fast-rising yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Warm oven on lowest setting and grease a 14-inch pizza pan. Mix flour, yeast, salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a bowl. Warm water and margarine in a pan to 125 degrees (the temperature needed to activate yeast). Pour warm liquid into flour mixture and stir. Knead dough four minutes, shape into a crust that covers the pan, and place in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

While you're waiting for the dough to rise, prepare your meat, vegetable, or fruit toppings, open a 6-ounce can of tomato sauce or use a similar amount of another condiment, and grate about 8 ounces of cheese if it's not already shredded.

Remove dough from oven and increase temperature to 400 degrees. Spread sauce on crust, add other toppings, and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes; longer if you add a lot of toppings. Serves four.

Topping possibilities

Sauces: barbecue, cheese, pesto, refried beans, salsa, tomato.

Meats: anchovies, bacon, chicken, ham, pastrami, pepperoni, salmon, sausage, steak.

Fruits, vegetables, nuts: asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, pineapple, pine nuts, tart apples, spinach, sweet basil, tomatoes (fresh or sun-dried), zucchini.

Cheeses: bleu, cheddar, feta, Gouda, gryere, mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, Romano, Swiss.

Stuart Englert is Midwest editor of American Profile.

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