Cheaters "Homemade" Pizza

Happy Thursday everyone, hopefully you have a relaxing and fun weekend ahead of you. I don't know about you guys, but I find that I get super lazy in regards to making dinner on the weekend. I don't know why, but it's true. If we are going to order something, it's usually Friday or Saturday night. Pizza is usually a winner, but it's so greasy and we always feel so bloated afterwards.

Awhile back we found fresh pizza dough at our local grocery store. Being brave, I picked up a package and everything that I needed to make a pizza. It was life changing people, something everyone should try.

I call it "homemade" pizza for the simple fact that someone made the dough from scratch, right? It said it was made in store on the bag, therefore, it's "homemade" dough. Just go with it, for me? Pretty please?

You will need the following ingredients, but feel free to add or take away any of the toppings:

Cheater "Homemade" Pizza                                                                        

1 pkg pizza dough                                                 2/3 cup pizza sauce
1 can sliced mushrooms                                         1/2 cup diced ham
1 cup sliced pepperoni                                           2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese                         Flour for dusting

We like our pizza simple, but anything can be added or taken away. It's your pizza after all. Let the dough sit on the counter per the package instructions. Mine was about 30 minutes or until the dough started to rise. Preheat your oven per the package instructions as well, mine was to 500 degrees.

While waiting, grab your baking tray and spray it very lightly with non-stick cooking spray and dust with flour. Also dust your workspace with flour:

Once the dough is ready, remove from the package and punch down the air pockets. Coat it in flour until it stops sticking to your hands, then start stretching. I usually stretch the dough by holding it up and turning it over and over while lightly tugging it. I also will lay it over my (clean) arm and let it stretch itself out a bit. Check the size by laying it down either on your workspace or on the tray.

Once in the baking tray, light brush the whole pizza down with olive oil. Concentrate on the edges and corners:

Then put about 1/3 cup of the pizza sauce on the dough. It will be a thin layer, but it help keep the sauce from becoming to runny once the pizza is finished:

Next, you will want to put your dough in the oven one rung down from the middle for about 8 minutes. You are not cooking the dough, you are letting it rise and bubble a bit. 

When you take it out of the oven, use a skewer to poke holes in the dough to deflate some of the bubbles. I used a wooden kabob skewer: 

Then add the remaining sauce and your meat toppings:

Next add your veggie toppings:

And lastly your cheese:

Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, checking after 8 minutes to see if the edges are browning. I also like to remove the pizza and lift it up to see how the bottom is browning as well. Nothing worse than a pizza with a soft bottom on it. When you are satisfied with how the crust is cooked, turn your oven to broil until the cheese is perfectly gooey.

Let it sit for 5 minutes for the cheese to hardened up a touch, then cut and enjoy. This pizza is one of the best we have ever had, and it's not too hard to make. As long as you cheat a little. 

I am hoping to try making my own pizza dough in the near future, and I will let you know how that goes.

Does anyone else have a cheater recipe that they use? Shhh.... I won't tell, but feel free to share.

Kerby  

Linking to:
A Handful of Everything - Great Idea Thursdays #82 
Craftin and Cookin - My Two Favorite Things Thursday #3 
Intelligent Domestications - Merry Monday #37 
The Cupcakery - Sweet & Savoury Sundays #25 
A Night Owl - Monday Funday 1/26/15 
Nap Time Creations - Create, Link, Inspire 1/26/15