I always thought that making homemade pizza would be difficult and time consuming until I discovered quick rise pizza dough. If you’re serious about makin’ pizza like I am, then invest in a pizza stone and peel; I promise, you’ll never go back to store-bought or delivery again!

A preheated stone yields the best rise and texture, but you could definitely adapt this recipe to use a cookie sheet or whatever pizza vessel you prefer.

What You’ll Need (yields 2 large pizzas):

• 2.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 pkg (2.25 tsp) quick rise yeast
• 1 tbsp Italian Spice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp runny honey

• 1 pkg Drake Meats Maple Bacon, diced & cooked
• 1 pkg Pizza Pepperoni
• 1 recipe homemade pizza sauce (see notes) or 1 jar of store-bought
• 4-6 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (if using a stone, put it in the oven during as soon as you preheat oven).
2. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.
3. Measure out warm water and mix in oil and honey.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until a dough starts to form.
5. Knead for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or transfer to mixer and use dough hook attachment on low.
6. Form into a ball and let rise for 20 minutes in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with saran wrap.
7. Roll dough out on a piece of parchment and add toppings. Use your pizza peel to slide prepared pizza and parchment onto preheated stone in the oven.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese in centre is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

Notes:

For homemade sauce, simply mix 1 small can of organic tomato paste with a couple tablespoons of Italian spice and parmesan cheese. Add just enough water to thin out the sauce.