Hello all! This is my first post, so I'm a little nervous. I'll tell you a bit about me and why you might want to follow my blog, and then I'll give you my super-yummy best ever homemade pizza dough recipe at the bottom! My hubby Buzz said it's better than an Italian restaurant - I'm not gonna argue with a compliment that nice! (Seriously, it is good, though...)
I do alot of crafting: sewing, embroidery, jewelry, all kinds of stuff. I'm hoping to set up shop soon and sell some of my creations (link to come?) but the blog is about sharing my love of creating...stuff! I'll post a tutorial next week on how to make a very snazzy half-apron for sewing, cooking, gardening, whatever! with a little help on how to do appliques.
I'm hoping to write about a tutorial per month, and if there's anything that you would like to see, please comment! You can also follow me on Twitter under ExcellCrafts.
Well, it's late, Buzz is asleep beside me, and I better check on Savi soon so we can get going early tomorrow after all the sleeping in on the bank holiday weekend! AquaFit tomorrow morning...eek!

So here's my luuuurrrrrvley homemade pizza dough recipe:
Makes enough for a hungry family of 4 with salad, or cut recipe in half for 2.
Warning! it needs 3 hours total resting time, rising and proving, so if you cook at 6, start at 3pm. OR, make it real quick in the morning (like, 10 minutes and you'll be done) and let it rise in the fridge while you're gone at work. Then take it out of the fridge, punch it down and let it prove while you get everything else ready.
Ok, you'll need:

500g Strong White Bread Flour
350ml(ish) warm water - hot tap water will do, but not too hot! might kill the yeasties!
15g quick rise yeast, or 2 little packets o' yeast
2 tsp runny honey
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp mixed herbs
olive oil
You'll need: a little bowl, and a big bowl, and a couple of hands.

Okay, here's how you make amazing dough: mix your honey and warm water together thoroughly in a little bowl. Then, add the yeast, stir gently, and leave it to do its thing while you do this: measure out your flour and salt and toss in your herbs in the big bowl. When your yeast mixture looks foamy and smells yeasty, add it to the flour mixture. You can do this in a number of ways: I use a dough hook and a stand mixer (I am TOTALLY in love with my stand mixer, Stan), or you can use a wooden spoon and then your hands. Burn those calories!
So, when it all comes together, if it looks too sticky, add a bit of flour. If it's too dry, add a bit of water. You'll know it's right when you can poke it and it springs back, but doesn't stick all over your finger and make you go, 'Ewww!' When it reaches its nirvana state then:
knead it for a bit on the counter to get it all elastic-y and work that gluten---it's ok, it wants to get worked! Ball it up, then clean out the bowl a bit if it's got sticky doughy bits in it. Wipe down the inside of the bowl with olive oil, then place your doughball in it. Cover it with a tea towel and put it somewhere safe for about 2 hours. After 2 hours, it has risen and smells very good.
But!
You aren't done yet!
Now, punch it down (Grrr!) and let it sit again for another hour or so. NOW it's 'proving', which I think of as 'im-proving' the flavour. And it really does, too.
Now, you're ready to roll it out and make your fave pizza!

Best way to make pizza at home: build your pizza on a bit of baking parchment, then let it bake on a SCREAMING hot pizza stone (or unglazed tile from B&Q) for about 10 mins or so. It's really fast cooking!

Hope this works for your family as much as it does for mine!
Next week: cute half apron, and (hopefully) another recipe!