If you’ve dropped by here before, you’re probably highly aware that I don’t each much. I’ve always been this way. But put a good pizza in front of my face and I can eat my weight’s worth. OK, so maybe I can just down half a pie, but that’s a lot for me. I love pizza. LOVE! But sadly, most pizzas fall into the high sodium content category and my family has to limit its intake. Sad, sad, poor pitiful me. But wait! You don’t have to have all of that sodium to enjoy the most flavorful pizza on the planet. No, just substitute and do it all from scratch. It’s simple, delicious, and so much better for your family.
You’ll want to make the sauce ahead of time. Yes, you can use a jar of sauce from the grocery store but that will raise the sodium count drastically. I make one easy homemade sauce using store-bought ingredients and one sauce totally from scratch that is the talk of the town (OK at least the neighborhood). You can use either of those for a delicious low sodium option because you know…the secret’s in the sauce!
You’ll want to make the sauce ahead of time. Yes, you can use a jar of sauce from the grocery store but that will raise the sodium count drastically. I make one easy homemade sauce using store-bought ingredients and one sauce totally from scratch that is the talk of the town (OK at least the neighborhood). You can use either of those for a delicious low sodium option because you know…the secret’s in the sauce!
The dough is the foundation of the pizza and it should be so delicious that people aren’t throwing the crust away (starving children and all…don’t throw food away people). The dough I make from scratch is flavorful, bakes or grills up nicely, is easy to work with, and 100% sodium free.
What you’ll need (recipe yields 1 – 12″ pizza):
- 1 1/2 cup bread flour
- 1 single pack dry yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp virgin olive oil (keep separated)
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Blend
- 1/2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb Blend
What you’ll do:
- Mix yeast, water, 1 tbsp oil, spice blends, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour in the flour and mix until blended well. Note: Mixture may be too sticky. If so, just add a little flour and mix until it doesn’t stick to your hands (a little sticky is OK, we’ll get to that in a minute).
- Pour 2 tbsp oil in a bowl, roll the dough into a ball, cover it with the oil, cover it with a paper towel, and let stand (5-10 minutes).
Once your dough has risen, make sure it is coated well with the oil, place it on a foil lined pizza stone or pan, and begin working it into a crust formation. Please note that some people use flour during this process but I find that dries the crust out so I use the oil instead. It keeps it from sticking to your hands, helps it brown nicely, and keeps it from drying out. Crimp the edges up, put it in the oven for 7 minutes on 375 degrees, take it out and sauce it up (the photo shows my made from scratch sauce…YUM).
One of our favorite things about making pizzas at home is how easily customizable they are. Extra sauce…no problem. Extra cheese…no upcharge. Heavy on the ham..you betcha! Half and half…of course. For B and Bug, I covered it with a blend of Mozzarella and Colby Jack cheeses, low sodium ham from the deli on the whole pizza, and added sliced fresh tomatoes on B’s side.
Cook your pizza in the oven for 25-35 minutes on 375 degrees. We like our cheese bubbly and brown so I cook ours for 35 minutes. If you’re the ooey-gooey type, stick with 25 minutes. The dough was precooked for those 7 minutes earlier so you won’t have to worry about a soggy crust. If weather allows, try this recipe on the grill. It’s even better that way!
And for my vegetarian friends like myself, try this fabulous combination next time you make pizzas. Homemade marinara sauce, blend of Mozzarella and Colby Jack cheeses, green olives, jalapeños, topped with feta cheese. Oh so delicious.
Obviously, some of our toppings are high in sodium (like the olives) but you can go with ground beef and fresh veggies to leave the sodium out all together. I’m always on the search for the best pizza on the island and I was SO proud this past weekend when my husband had friends over to watch the Cowboys and somehow it came up that I make the best pizza on the island. Yes, flattery will get you everywhere with me, but he was sincere and his friends can’t wait to try it out.
What’s your favorite homemade dish? Do you and your family enjoy homemade pizzas? If so, I hope you’ll try my low/no sodium variety and tell me what you think. Good food doesn’t have to taste bad. Secret’s in the sauce!
I LOVE homemade pizza!
I’m craving it now just talking about it. Bet we have grilled pizzas for Sunday dinner as long as everyone’s feeling OK again. Yum!
Pinned and Chef’d it up! This looks de-lish! We love making homemade pizza…. in fact, if it wasn’t so late, I’d be tempted to make some right now. Thanks for sharing on Inspire Me Wednesday, Christy!
I’ve been looking for a low sodium recipe for pizza dough… I have to try this! My 4 year old has kidney problems and has been forced to give up his favorite food … Pizza. I will try and omit the cheese and make a ground beef topping. He’s very restricted. Thanks for posting.
So sorry to hear about your son’s kidney problems. My oldest daughter (now 24) had kidney issues when she was younger and dietary restrictions, including the dairy you talk about above, were enforced on us as well and helped greatly until she was able to outgrow hers. But thankfully she was able to outgrow it. I hope this recipe works out for you and he can enjoy his pizza again.
Thanks for all of the shares Mel. Have a great weekend!
That looks and sounds SO delicious, Christy!!
Mmmmm…now I want pizza again. Thank you!