Homemade Thin Crust Pizza and Sauce

Until recently, I wasn't one to try tweaking recipes while cooking in my kitchen. However, I'm finding that I actually like "experimenting" with recipes and trying ways to eliminate white sugar as I make things from scratch.

My crew really likes thin crust pizza, and with much trial and error along the way, I've finally stumbled on to a whole wheat thin crust that earns thumbs up from most of my family--youngest son is lone hold out on this one still ;)

This recipe is quick and easy to pull together--just 5 simple ingredients!

Whole Wheat Thin Crust Pizza

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup hot water

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients:

 Next, add 1/3 cup canola oil and mix with clean hands until small balls form:

 Now add 1 cup hot water and mix with spatula or spoon until dough starts to form:

 

   That's it--easy peasy :) While the dough rests, I'll whip together a batch of homemade pizza sauce (if I don't already have some in the freezer). The recipe below is a double batch, which is plenty for pizza night and tortilla pizzas my kids like to throw together for quick snacks, too.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

  2 29oz cans tomato sauce

4 teaspoons Agave Nectar

4 teaspoons each oregano and basil

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

As a white sugar substitute, I've been using Agave Nectar in my recipes:

       

It seems to be a mild sweetener without any odd after taste. My crew doesn't notice any change in flavor when I use it in recipes, and for us, it's a better choice than white sugar.

The pizza sauce is easy to whip together--in a saucepan, add all ingredients, mix well, and let it simmer for 10-15 mins:

This picture is 1/2 the recipe--think I only had 1 29 oz can of tomato sauce in my pantry that day ;)

 

 Now it's time to assemble your pizza exactly how you like it! I lightly grease a pizza pan and roll the dough out on it--it's not pretty, but it works--after sauce and toppings are added, bake at 400 until done:

This is so much better than the frozen pizza I've bought for years--not only is this much less expensive, but it taste better and is a healthier alternative than frozen pizza. 

--Laura