Spinach, artichoke, and feta pizza on a herbed crust

I wish I knew sooner that pizza dough was so easy to make! Lately I have been on a "homemade" cooking spree...trying out things that we mostly tend to buy outside, but that are actually a breeze to make at home. Plus, they almost always taste better! Trust me, you have to try it to believe how simple it is to make a delicious pizza at home.

A search on Smitten Kitchen led me to this really simple pizza dough recipe. It is indeed really simple. And good. Really good! I just used substituted half the flour with whole-wheat flour (always good to make a healthier option) and added some chopped fresh herbs to give it some extra flavor. Topped it up with some home-made tomato sauce, veggies and feta cheese....baked it for 10 minutes....and enjoyed one the best pizzas ever...fresh out of the oven!

For one thin pizza crust (serves 2):

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (or 1 tsp dried herbs of choice)

3/4 tsp dry active yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 tbsp olive oil

To make the dough, mix all the dry ingredients (including yeast and herbs) in a big bowl. Knead into a dough adding the olive oil and water slowly. (Check out the original recipe for some kneading tips). Lightly oil the dough ball and leave it in the bowl, covered with cling wrap, for an hour or two, until it doubles in size. (I actually let my dough rise for 4-5 hours and it was beautiful to work with). 

For the sauce:

1 big tomato, chopped

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp water

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic till they start turning brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the puree, herbs, water, salt and pepper. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to stir in between and add more water if needed. Let the sauce cool while the dough rises.

When you're ready to make your pizza, gently press the air out of the dough on a floured counter.  Roll iit into a ball and cover with the cling wrap. Let it rest for another 15-20 minutes. (You can chop up your vegetable toppings in the meantime). 

Preheat oven to 240 degrees C. Sprinkle a baking stone or baking tray with some cornmeal.

Roll out the pizza dough into a circle or rectangle (like me), stopping when you reach your desired thinness.  Spread the tomato sauce onto the pizza. Top it with vegetables and cheese of your choice. I used some chopped spinach, artichokes, and feta.

Place on the baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Crack some fresh pepper on top and serve hot!