Homemade pizza

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Crust
Make the crust using Oatmeal Bread dough (recipe below), mixing 2 t garlic powder and 1 t thyme in with flour. Press into a cookie sheet after first rising. Cover generously with marinara sauce, at least 1 ½ cups. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella or cheese of your choice, both before and after placing toppings.

Marinara Sauce
We use this basic sauce for pizza, lasagna, and spaghetti. Make it ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to week.
In a saucepan mix 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1 small can tomato paste, 1/8 c. olive oil, ½ c chopped onion, 5 cloves crushed garlic, 2 t sugar, 2 t oregano, 1 t thyme, 1 t basil, and ½ t salt. Optional - add 1 chopped zucchini and 1 grated carrot. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until needed.

Suggested toppings:
Mushrooms sautéed with garlic
Onions caramelized by slow-cooking in olive oil
Fresh garlic
Spinach sautéed with garlic
Eggplant sautéed with garlic
Olives
Sliced tomatoes
Green or red peppers
Artichoke or palm hearts
Pepperoni or sausage
Ham or bacon
Tuna – not kidding, a French fave

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until crust is done. Brush crust with olive oil, then serve.

Oatmeal breads

Heat 1 c. water in microwave until warm - just barely steaming and not burning your fingertip. Add 1/8 c. sugar and stir to dissolve. Add 1 packet yeast and stir once. Wait until the top of the water is covered in a light foam, about ten minutes. Add ¼ c. oil, ½ t. salt, and 2 T powdered milk (or substitute ½ c. milk for ½ c. water earlier on.) Once well mixed, slowly add 1 3/4 c. flour and 1 c. oatmeal until a soft dough forms.
Kneed the dough on a lightly floured counter for 8 minutes (no cheating!) until it becomes smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl then roll it around to be sure all of the dough is lightly coated in oil. Place the bowl in a warm place (90 degrees) to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into small pieces and shape them into rolls. I usually cut about 2 T of dough then turn it out and pinch the ends together repeatedly to form a roll. Dip the top of the roll in milk before placing on a baking sheet. Let rise another 30 minutes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden. These make great dinner rolls, hamburger buns, bread, and pizza crust.