MargaritaPizzaVille

Pizza is always a fail safe as a dinner plan in this apartment, and since we are trying to do better about making our own food, we put it on the menu this week.  We made an absolutely fantastic margarita pizza last night, so I thought I'd share the recipe for all of you pizza lovers.

Just an FYI this pizza dough takes about an hour and a half in total (it needs time to rise).

What you will need:
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp honey
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little extra)
About 3 cups bread flour
Mozzarella cheese- grated or sliced (for best results get a fresh ball of mozzarella and grate or slice yourself)*
Fresh tomato sauce... either make your own or buy some from a local grocery store (we get ours from a little market down the street that is absolutely amazing)
Fresh basil
Cling wrap

Special equipment:
Kitchen aid standing mixer with c-hook dough attachment (you can do without this, but keep in mind that you have to knead for about 6 minutes straight)
Deep cast iron pan or pizza stone...again, you can do without it, but cooking instructions will be a bit different.  

*Depends on your preference as to how much you need/use.

What you do:
In mixer bowl, pour 1 cup warm water and add 1 tbsp honey and 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast.
Stir until mixed, then let sit about 5-10 mins.  You will see little bubbles forming on the surface.
When you see bubbles, add 2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil, and a cup and a half of bread flour.
Mix completely.
Keep adding bread flour until dough no longer sticks to your hands (really make sure because too little flour can make the dough fall apart)
Use the c hook kitchen aid attachment and number 2 setting to knead the dough for a total of 6 minutes (or do it by hand).
Flour your hands, take the dough out and make it into a ball.
While the dough is out, lightly grease the inside of the bowl with olive oil.
Dab a little olive oil on the dough itself as well, but not too much.
Place the dough ball back into the bowl, and cover with cling wrap.
Let sit for 1-2 hours to let it rise.

While dough rises, prep the other ingredients.
Grate or slice the mozzarella.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

When the dough is ready, wipe olive oil along the inside of the cast iron pan.
Spread dough on the inside of the pan making a thick crust, start in the middle and work outwards.
When dough is in place, spoon tomato sauce onto the crust and spread it from the middle out.
Afterward sprinkle grated cheese, or place sliced disks over the pizza.
Add basil as a final touch. 
Put in oven for about 25 mins (watch carefully... start checking at 18 mins).
Make sure that you have a safe/heat-proof surface ready.
Take out (be incredibly careful...cast iron gets insanely hot).
Let cool about 10 mins, cut and serve.

I HIGHLY recommend.