this isn't the junior chamber of commerce, brad!

ok, this pizza margherita was SO GOOD. i found this recipe on tasty kitchen, and i think it is officially going to become my go-to pizza recipe. pants, shark, and i LOVED this pizza, and even picky eater sky asked for seconds on the one i made for him (same crust, but with mozzarella cheese ONLY and just a hint of sauce). the crust is thin with a good crunch around the edges, and it's just plain yummy. you can link to the website for the original recipe, or follow what i did, which is just slightly different.classic pizza margherita

ingredients:
for the crust:

3/4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups bread flour (i think the original recipe called for whole wheat bread flour, but i just used regular)
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the toppings:
olive oil
artichoke hearts, canned
2-3 tomatoes, chopped or sliced
fresh basil (definitely use FRESH basil, not dried)
fresh or dried oregano
ricotta cheese
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
pizza sauce or pesto, optional

preheat oven to 500 degrees. if you have a pizza or baking stone, put it in the middle of the oven. i don't have one, so i just used a baking sheet placed upside down on the middle rack as a substitute.

in a bowl, add the lukewarm water and the yeast, and stir thoroughly. set aside and let the yeast dissolve for a few minutes. in a mixing bowl with a dough hook attached, mix together the flour and salt, then add the water-yeast mixture. combine a few turns with the dough hook till mostly mixed together, then turn onto a floured surface and knead a minute or two till all the flour is incorporated.
roll out crust with a rolling pin** and brush dough with olive oil and add all the toppings except for the cheese (i also added a little natural pizza sauce and liked the added flavor). put crust on baking stone and bake for 5 minutes, then rotate 180 degrees. bake 3 more minutes, then add cheeses. bake a few more minutes till the edges are golden and crispy, and cheese is melted. cool on a wire rack or wooden board for 5 minutes, then serve. ** i actually doubled the batch and made individual pizzas, but you can also make one big pizza if you want. i also refrigerated some dough before baking (in a ball shape in plastic wrap) for a few hours and it made it easier to roll out.