Bread and pizza every weekend

I love pizza and warm, crusty bread. But we have no bakery close by that caters to healthy food choices. Also, no bakery would customize my pizza toppings the way I want them.

Therefore, for the past two months I have been making my own bread and pizza every weekend. I went through several recipe variations from online sources and simplified until I settled on a short and cheap routine. I do not even have a Dutch oven, which seems to be a prerequisite for all recipes on Internet! I use two cookie sheets instead.

The recipe is for one thin pizza that may or may not feed three people and two small loaves of bread. If you would like to feed more people, scale accordingly or bake bread more frequently. 

I have time to cook only on weekends. Therefore, I prepare the dough on Friday evening, let it rise overnight and bake on Saturday. When I retire, I can bake twice a week. Why? Because the bread and pizza baked at home are superior to any products from the supermarket. They are also cheaper, especially if you buy the ingredients on sale.

As you can see on the picture above, even the "healthy" 100% whole wheat bread is prepared with sugar and honey, plus a ton of "preservatives". 

So, roll up the sleeves and open your own personal bakery. Happy baking!


Ingredients for the dough
6 cups of flour (I use any ratio of white to wheat flour, depending on what I have)*
3 cups warm water
1 packet yeast
1 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp olive oil


*I recently switched to a different brand of flour and it seems that a ratio of 6.5-7 cups of flour to 3 cups of water is better for some flour brands.  You will establish if you need more flour if the dough cannot be handled at all due to its moisture. To resolve the problem, simply add another 0.5-1 cup of flour.


For the pizza topping
crushed tomatoes (a can of 28 oz)
any seasonings you like; I use lots of hot red pepper flakes, crushed garlic, salt 
any cheese(s) you like, in any quantity

Directions for the dough prep
In a huge bowl, mix the flours and salt. Make a well in the middle and in it, mix the yeast and water. After dissolving the yeast in the water, incorporate all ingredients with your hands. It takes only 2 to 3 minutes. The dough is messy and sticky, and this is normal! Pour some olive oil around the dough ball, roll the ball in the oil and smear the oil on the walls of the bowl. Cover with Saran wrap. I use two pieces of the wrap since the dough size triples overnight. On top, I add a kitchen towel.

The bowl goes on top of the refrigerator and stays there overnight. On the next day, two hours before the pizza is to be served, divide the dough into three equal size balls. Spray two cookie sheets with PAM (this is very important). On one of the cookie sheets, shape one of the balls into a thin layer and spread olive oil on top (the oil will help you press down the dough into a thin layer). The layer should occupy the entire cookie sheet.  On the second cookie sheet, shape the two remaining balls into two rolls to form two loaves of bread. Cover the loaves with Saran wrap again and leave on the kitchen counter for another 30 - 40 minutes. To bake, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pizza sauce prep
Warm up the crushed tomatoes in a pot, add crushed garlic and spices to taste. Let it simmer for maximum of five minutes under a cover. I use a can of 28 oz tomatoes for two pizzas; one half of the amount is used one week, and the second half is frozen in a jar for the next week’s pizza. 

Baking directions
Before baking the pizza, spread the tomato sauce and arrange the cheese on top of the dough.   Cut diagonal slits on the loaves with a sharp knife (see picture below).

Bake the bread and pizza together. I have two shelves in the oven. On the top shelve, I bake the two loaves, on the middle shelf (under the bread) I bake the pizza. The pizza is done in 15-20 minutes. The loaves take longer (approximately 25-30 minutes). One can leave the loaves in the oven after turning off the heat for another 10 minutes (this allows for a better crust to form).