It is one of her favorite things to do… help out in the kitchen.  And by help out, I do not mean sweep the floors, wash the dishes or even scrub the countertops.  I am referencing the very things that create the messes we clean up.   I must admit, it is with fault that there are certain times I think the messes are not worth the hassle, or the extra time they took to create.  It’s too easy to think (and hopefully not blurt out) “Let me just get this done, I can do this faster,” or “You’ll spill this and that all over the counter” etc.  These are the times I need to take a step back, factor in an additional 15 minutes (because we all have lots of those, right?!) and appreciate the realization that their little minds absorb so much every single experience you guide them through. Cooking and baking are areas in which they utilize so many of their senses.  The feel of the textures, the smell of the ingredients both individually and combined, the sounds of the whisk in the bowl, the practice of cracking eggs, the organizing recipe steps, the vision of their projects coming to life, and the sense of accomplishment once the family sits down to enjoy {and usually, licking the batter from the spoon…but shh, only mom allows that…can only preach what I practice, no?}.  Hold on, maybe I should try cooking?  Nah, still not interested.

As you may easily determine after wandering this site a bit, cooking is not my forte.  Not an ounce of interest hides within me.  Baking on the other side, is a topic I can lose myself in for hours… show me the books and recipes including butter, sugar, flour, salt, etc.  Lucky for my little ones, dad loves to have assistance from sous chefs in the kitchen and up until their arrival, he had little to none.  We decided to make pizza dough from scratch this weekend because it is something my oldest little one loves to eat, we are clearing out the summer garden as the basil is tired of sleeping outdoors with the pumpkins and the dough is a new recipe for the kiddies to explore.

Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees / luke warm)
2 cups bread flour*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups bread flour, olive oil, salt, white sugar and the yeast mixture; stir well to combine. Beat well until a stiff dough has formed. Cover and rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Form dough into a round and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

*The bread flour helps make the crust a little more crispy.  You may use all-purpose flour, yet your crust will have more of dough texture.