The One About Making No More Dough

/ Ally Bean

I WANT YOU TO REALIZE, my gentle readers, that I understand what I’m going to say here is considered controversial in some circles.

I get it.

I’ve been told I’m wrong by many well-meaning people, but I don’t believe them.

Nope, I hang with Einstein on this one. Remember him? He is the genius who said: “Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” 

Well, it’s with that quote in mind that I share with you my belief that IT IS OKAY TO GIVE UP.

Yes kids, I feel there are times and situations wherein sane, well-adjusted people just. give. up.

One needs to know why she is giving up AND how her life will change because of it. That’s important, of course. But in the end, some times the act of giving up is the best way to get on with your happy life.

• • •

To wit, one must accept the fact that to move forward one has to let go of behaviors and ideas that no longer serve one.

• • •

WHICH IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE would be the idea that I’ll ever be able to make homemade pizza crust that doesn’t taste like stale saltines AND doesn’t give me heartburn.

[I don’t know what it is about using those little packets of yeast, but I always end up chomping on some Tums after I eat anything bread-y I make with those little packets.]

Thus with the foregoing insight into my rational thinking abilities and my admission of pizza-making failures, I shall end this post by sharing a gussied up photo of perfectly wonderful commercially-purchased frozen pizza dough resting on a floured cutting board sitting on our kitchen counter.

This would be pizza dough that I have NOT made, vowing here and now before God and the blogosphere to never again attempt to make pizza dough from scratch.

I. Give. Up.

202 thoughts on “The One About Making No More Dough”

  3. I can whip out really good pie crusts from dawn to dusk, but if it involves yeast? I’m reluctant. There’s nothing that smells better while baking than a good yeast roll, but the freezer compartment at my local grocery is my friend.

    Liked by 3 people

    • shoreacres, I’m the same way. I can make a decent pie crust, but when yeast is involved I am less successful. I like your line: “the freezer compartment at my local grocery is my friend.” Mine, too.

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  4. I get it, Ally. I made Australian Campfire Damper in the Summer and I don’t even want to tell you what it looked like. Yet, it actually tasted really good, or we were really hungry. You remind me how I should be giving up on other things in my life, such as certain people. Yet, we are talking about pizza dough. Pizza is my death row meal and I expect good pizza, including the dough. Darn on the heartburn and stale sardines. Friends of mine buy pizza dough from good bakeries and rave about it. Okay to give up. Yet, not on blogging, dear Ally.🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Erica/Erika, I wouldn’t mind my finished pizza looking awful, but it tastes *blah* compared to the frozen dough. It’s too much work for very little reward.

      I like your idea about giving up on certain people. Not the point of my post per se but there’s something smart to be said for remaining sane by creating some, shall we say, personal boundaries. 🤔

      Liked by 1 person

  8. I’m afraid that I’ve always found pizza dough easy. I have some issues with it being a little too enthusiastic at times and having really thick crusts but, I don’t mind thick crusts cause homemade bread is my desert island food. I am sure I could survive on it if all other food was taken away. Be damned the food pyramid and this stupid keto diet!

    That said, I wish I could buy froze pizza dough here. I do buy frozen lasagna just because it’s a great deal of trouble to make lasagna for one person. Sure, mine is better but i don’t care. And I buy frozen pizza not because it’s better than mine but because it’s easy and it is not always worth it to me to put the work in for what I consider to be a lazy dinner night.

    So, here’s to you for recognizing your limits and finding a way around them.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Zazzy, I know a few other gifted people such as yourself who can whip up consistently wonderful pizza dough. Good on you, I say– although with a keto diet I suppose you’re not eating much of it.

      I still make lasagne, sometimes in the slow cooker which makes it easier to make, but ends up more like a casserole than a proper pan of the stuff. It’s tasty though, so I don’t care how it looks.

      You’re right about recognizing my limits. That might be one of the underlying messages of this past year. Learning what is worth doing– and what isn’t. Applies to people, too. 🙄

      Liked by 1 person

  10. IMHO: I think we should QUIT more often . . . just as soon as we realize we’re heading in the wrong direction for our time and talents.

    * Time is our most valuable and irreplaceable commodity ~ a bank account which mandates daily withdrawals, prohibits deposits, and pays dividends when we spend it wisely.

    * It doesn’t really matter how fast you’re going if you’re heading in the wrong direction. ~ Stephen Covey

    * Make the most of this moment . . . you’ll never pass this way again.

    Life should her a fun experiment. We try something, we enjoy it, we keep at it. We try something else, don’t enjoy it, and decide to turn our attention elsewhere. Always, of course, using our internal barometer (not external consensus) as the deciding vote.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Hear, hear, Nancy! I like how you think. I agree that once you figure out you’re on a deadend path, change directions. There’s no shame in giving up on something– or someone. I love the Covey quote. He’s right, of course. Going quickly in the wrong direction is pointless. I prefer heading toward points.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Congrats for even trying Ally Bean! My daughter in law is a chef and I am very happy that when she’s here for her to do all the creating and baking – and I merely help in tidying up. I’m a great one for delish deli, the freezer in the stores, making muffins from packets (merely adding oil milk and egg) and adding anything else eg nuts raisins sunflower seeds marmalade as a sop to a bit of creativity.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Susan, your approach to cooking/eating is wonderfully pragmatic. I’d take advantage of chef in the family, too– but alas there is no one. I like to cook and bake, but I do have my limits and refuse to continue to try to overcome some of them. Henceforth, frozen pizza dough it is!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I had about given up on pizza crust, and I finally found the recipe that works for me. That said, I am in hearty agreement with the general thesis of this post. Giving up on a marriage was one of the best things I ever did.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Rita, I know some people have a way with making pizza dough. I am not one of them, but don’t begrudge your for your gift.

      Good example of how giving up can be a positive idea. I’m glad you’re happier now.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I’m so lazy since there are now just two of us to worry about. Poor hubby has resorted to cereal or canned soup on nights I am not there. Cooking is just not something I enjoy. So whatever shortcuts there are, I take them!

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    • Beth, if you don’t like cooking then doing it would be a stress. I could eat cereal for dinner, but am not a fan of canned soups. Too salty. I like cooking for the two of us and as you can imagine, Z-D is not a fussy eater so it all works out. 😋

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  14. I’m with you. I don’t make any pies at all, thanks to the heavenly ones baked at a local pie shop. Why should I bother when I can get the best anytime?

    And Rick and I vastly prefer naan as pizza crust, so when we make pizzas, we use it and put it right on the grill for a few minutes. Lovely!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Nance, we have a great European-style bakery around here so when it comes to pies that’s where I go.

      I’ve never heard of making pizza on naan and that’s brilliant. What a good [easy] idea. Thanks.

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      • Naan makes great personal sized pizzas, unless you are a fan of thicker crust, like me. We do make naan pizza sometimes and enjoy it, but sometimes I really want the thick crunchy crust.

        I haven’t found a great pie place around here, though I am sure there are some. We don’t eat enough pie to make it worth the search, sadly. I love a good fruit pie, but my family not so much.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I’m going to try this naan pizza idea. I’m sure we’re going to like it because– how easy can it be? I like fruit pies, too. If you order ahead this bakery will make a 6″size pie, instead of their standard 9″ size pie. For us, that’s the perfect amount of pie.

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  15. Same girl, same. I used to make pizza dough in my bread maker and it was so good (and easy). But it depends on the bread maker. I had a wonderful bread maker and it died, probably because I used it several times a week. I bought a different one because I couldn’t find the original brand and it wasn’t the same. I have never made pizza dough since.

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  16. Phew! I was worried that you were going to be way more controversial than that! I totally agree. There are some things that other people in the universe do better, faster. It is a wonderful relief to surrender to that and to allow them to shine!

    Liked by 2 people

  17. Good for you! The problem with pizza dough is that we’ve all had that outstanding pizza crust and duplicating it at home is not so easy if you are not doing it every day. I’m usually pretty good with any bread or yeast dough, except pizza. I think I’ve had more failures there than any other in baking and I know part of it is the fact that the crust is no where near as good as my favorite pizza shop that is sadly no longer in business. That creates the next problem, the memory of the perfect crust that gets more perfect as time goes by.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I thought you were going in an different direction and was going to talk about the elephant in your country. Pizza dough is a much nicer conversation.
    We live rural so it’s a good thing we have a stellar pizza dough reciepe that even freezes well. We make it lots, especially in the summer when we can cook outside in our pizza oven. But yeah something’s are just harder – I’m still trying with our crust and occasionally nail it and then the next time not so good. I usually encourage my daughter to bring the pie now that my mom no longer visits. Well actually no one visits for meals anymore but someday after Covid is over.

    Liked by 2 people

    • bernieLynne, the concept of giving up can apply to many different topics so I’m sure we could talk about 45 and his supporters here, but as you noted pizza dough is a much nicer topic! I’m impressed that you can make the dough and freeze it successfully. To me that seems like a big deal.

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  20. I haven’t tried to make homemade pizza dough in decades. I think I could do it better now, as I was in my 20s and didn’t really understand a lot about cooking/baking, and now am in my 50s and understand a bit more (still not a lot when it comes to breads and baking). I have zero interest in trying to make homemade pizza dough, because I am fortunate to live where I can buy pre-made. I do have a pizza stone in my oven and a pizza peel to help me make delicious pizza, though we don’t have it as often as we should. Perhaps I need to make a NY Resolution of some sort…

    Liked by 1 person

    • J, my attempt at making the pizza crust were subpar, not awful but not worth the effort. If I lived where you do I’d buy pre-made too. We used to have a pizza stone but it broke along the way and we never replaced it. I don’t think one would improve my dough, though. I’m just not good at making it– and I can live with that.

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    • Well said. I take your point. I give up only when I can satisfactorily answer my own criteria of why and how things will change. In this case I give up because what I make isn’t worth the effort and my meals will be tastier because of it. 😉

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  22. I am not a baker so I buy the refrigerated pie crust or ready-made pizza crust or frozen pizzas. We like them and eat them so no problem. I buy ready-made cookies from the grocery store bakery and the grandkids love them. They are always excited when they see that Grandma has their “favorite cookies”!
    Yay for me!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Ellen D, I like to bake and I like to experiment in the kitchen so attempting to make a decent pizza crust seemed like a good idea. And maybe it was– I’ve now learned not to try it anymore. I like cookies from a bakery so I’m with your grandkids– yay you!

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  24. Absolutely! Giving up sounds bad, but it’s really resigning oneself to reality. There is much that I can do, but many other things that I can’t, no matter how hard I try. I made bread a couple of times; it turned out okay but was too much work for the payoff. I’ll let Oroweat do my bread and muffin baking for me. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Margaret, good point. I can do many things well, but I cannot make pizza crust so why stress myself? Like I said… as long as you know why you’re giving up and how your life will change, then do it. I don’t know how that can be misconstrued by some people, but it has been. I’ve been told… never give up. 🙄

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      • Though our favorite pizza comes from Piccadilly Circus Pizza at our local Shell station, I have started making it at home using the store bought cauliflower crust. Danny likes cauliflower crust and its guilt free, not cheap but you do get two medium crusts in one package so I make one for him and one for me (making pizza is not cheap anyway).

        I gave up on baking but keep seeing Keto recipes that entice me to try again. I am finding that I can actually cook so maybe soon, I will try again.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Patricia, I’ve never tried to make a cauliflower crust. If they’re in the frozen pizza section at the grocery I haven’t seen them, but I’m in and out of the grocery so fast anymore that they could be there. I see recipes of keto baked goods, too. We don’t do keto but a good recipe is a good recipe. I hope you find one you like.

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  25. That’s a very wise epiphany! It’s mature (not OLD, MATURE – big difference) to admit one can’t do everything and get it all right. And to lose (so to speak) gracefully is an art! Good for you on giving up. Less stress that way too!

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    • Melanie, thank you for your kind words. I am an old soul, always have been, so maybe this epiphany was bound to happen. I’m good at knowing my limits and making pizza crust is one of them.

      Liked by 2 people

      • To ATTEMPT making a pizza crust ‘from scratch’ is fairly amazing to me. I did good to get a pie crust made ‘in the day’, or biscuits. Some have that light touch, others just don’t. And there’s no shame in saying so and a lot less heartburn! 😉

        Liked by 1 person

        • Thank you. You’re right about less heartburn. I’ve no idea why that happens when I use those little yeast packets but it does. I like to experiment in the kitchen, but I also like to move on when things don’t work. Case in point.

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  26. My husband is the opposite. He is convinced that America’s biggest scam is the the cost of take out pizza and bread. So he kept at the pizza crust and the baguettes. And they are delicious.

    But the cost? My beloved Kitchen Aid. Burned towels. A fire alarm that had to be removed from the kitchen (the end cost might be us burning up in our beds one night, wait and see).

    I love his food, but you don’t know how many times I wished he would just give up.

    Liked by 3 people

  27. Ages ago when my kids were young teens and super active I had the brilliant idea of making bread, rolls, and pizza dough so we’d have homemade bread and stuff. I bought a bread maker and off I went. We loved everything that I made even if it looked awful, but my goodness the time it takes to make the stuff!
    My kids were active and needed to go to practices, meets, and games and I wanted to watch them not be at home waiting on the dough to rise or not. I finally gave the bread maker away. I haven’t made any dough from scratch since.

    I totally get giving up so you can move on. After 13 years of piano lessons as an adult, I gave up. I am not ever going to be the pianist I hoped I’d be so it was time to stop throwing time and money away on lessons. Now I just make noise on it when the mood strikes me. I’m so much happier now and having more fun on it.

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    • Deborah, I can understand why you gave away the bread maker, no matter how yummy the bread was. I think your time was better spent watching your kids, than watching a blob of flour rise underneath a kitchen towel.

      Your example of giving up on your piano lessons is exactly my point. At a certain moment you have to be honest with yourself. You have to assess what’s happening and decide if it’s worth continuing on. It’s called giving up, but it’s really like moving forward– and having more fun.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. I’ve never made proper pizza dough well, but have also never made it badly – both of which are because I’ve never made proper pizza dough the way pizza dough should be made. There is, however, a way to make a pizza with scone dough, which I have indeed made and it turned out very yummily. 🙂

    But yeah, you do need to know when to give up. I know that one only too well… apropos my blog.

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  30. Somethings are not worth the aggravation. There are lots of food things that I have determined are beyond my skill set or time allotments so I just buy them. I feel no remorse as I eat pho or lasagna or pork bar b que.

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  32. I wish some other people would learn the art of giving up. There is no shame in in, especially since you have obviously made the attempt. We each have our own gifts. Dough making may not be one of yours but blogging certainly is.

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    • Janet, I hear ‘ya about certain other people learning the art of giving up. Well said. I made many attempts over the last year to make pizza dough from scratch– and now I’m going to scratch the idea that I can do that. Thanks for your support.

      Liked by 1 person

  34. Sometimes it just isn’t worth it! I had to give up trying to grow a garden. I don’t know how many thousands of dollars it took until I realized it’s much cheaper to go to the Farmer’s Market than to try to fight the rats and the gophers!

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  35. Kenny Rogers may have said it most memorably:

    You got to know when to hold ’em,
    Know when to fold ’em,
    Know when to walk away,
    And know when to run.

    You don’t have time for everything in life so you have to make these tough choices. Good for you! 🙂 Many, many, many years ago, I gave up thinking I was going to sew lots of things just because my mom did and just because I’d bought patterns and material (all too hard for me, most likely.) As I’ve never overspent on clothes, it was a great decision and freed me from the dreaded sewing guilt! I also gave up FB about 99.9% recently and life is SO much better. 🙂

    janet

    Liked by 3 people

    • Janet, that’s a great song for this post. Kenny knew what he was singing about. I cannot sew and my mother could. I understand your decision to live sewing guilt free. I left FB years ago and have never regretted it. Life is too short for that kind of nonsense. It’s self-preservation to not be there. 🤔

      Liked by 1 person

  36. I agree! I consider it crucial to constantly evaluate where we put our focus, energy, time, money, etc. We must grow and change and adapt. Giving up on that which does not serve us brings space for new things that will. It’s good chi!
    That’s odd about the packets of yeast. I buy Fleischmann’s which must be kept in the fridge but if everything I made with it gave me heartburn…

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  37. If it requires the little yellow packet, I don’t do it. I also buy pie crust, and no guilt there either. 🙂 You really got me thinking about “One needs to know why she is giving up AND how her life will change because of it. That’s important, of course. But in the end, some times the act of giving up is the best way to get on with your happy life.” I’ll probably still be thinking tomorrow, so thanks for the thought provoking post.

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Hallelujah! I have met a kindrid spirit. I gave up making pizza dough years ago! For much the same reason. Flatbreads work best fo rme now as home made pizza dough. They crisp up nicely and no fussing with that packet yeast that I always manage to kill. And I suppose flatbread pizzas might be a little healthier too?

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  42. A few years ago I took a blood test that showed I was sensitive to wheat flour. So I haven’t been eating much bread, and I didn’t join with everyone who was baking bread. When we lived in the Philippines where most of the bread was white, I learned to bake bread. Trying to be healthy, I baked anadama bread, which tasted fine as far as I can remember. Anyway, I approve of giving up on something that doesn’t please you, especially when you don’t need to do it yourself.

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    • Nicki, I never got into that bread baking trend either. We never had a machine, but most of my friends did. To a one they gained weight because they made and ate fresh bread every day.

      I like to try new things in the kitchen so I’m glad I attempted to make the pizza crust, but considering how the frozen pizza dough makes a delicious crust, I’m off that kick. I’ll find something else to occupy my time in the kitchen.

      Liked by 1 person

  43. Commercially-purchased frozen pizza dough still leads to praise-worthy homemade pizza in my books.
    Actually, in my books, adding my own fresh tomato slices to frozen spinach pizza also qualifies as homemade. What can I say, I like to keep my standards attainable! 😀

    Liked by 3 people

    • Donna, ha! I like your take on how to make a homemade pizza. I take your point and will remember it in the future. In truth, I just want the pizza to taste good regardless of how that comes about.

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  44. Sure it’s important to work hard and to make the effort, but when it is clear that a thing is not in your skillset *and* that it servers no purpose for you to continue, acceptance is the way to go. The lovely Irish author, Marian Keyes, suggests a daily gratitude practice which comprises of 3 things to be grateful for and 1 thing which requires acceptance. Ally, as ever, you make a serious point in a wonderfully light-hearted manner:)

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    • Deb, making pizza dough is clearly NOT in my skill set. This I have learned. And with the existence of frozen pizza dough I’m comfortable giving up on making the stuff myself.

      I’ve heard of a daily gratitude practice of remembering 3 things for which you are thankful, but it’s a new idea to me to include 1 thing which requires acceptance. I like it. It brings nuance and perspective to the practice. Will remember this. Thank you.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Maggie, I’m the opposite. I can make a decent pie crust when forced to, but it doesn’t require yeast. And therein is my trouble, I believe. The pizza crusts I’ve made weren’t awful, just not worth the time spent making them. Thus, I have a new friend, named frozen pizza dough.

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  50. I’m with you — sometimes in life the only sensible thing to do is give up! It’s important to recognize our limits and concentrate on other things that we do well. Pizza is one of the foods I can no longer eat, even gluten-free, and one of the foods that I miss the most. My brother-in-law has been struggling to make his own pizza dough since the beginning of the pandemic. I think he finally gave up. (Anyway, I stopped hearing about it.) But I hear he’s been making wonderful pasta!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Barbara, I’m nothing if not a sensible woman, so I can give up with my head held high. I prefer our homemade pizzas, rather than carry out, because the carry out pizzas around here are so salty and fatty. I’ve never tried to make pasta so I’m impressed by your BIL’s success.

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  52. There does come a point in our adulthood where we realize and can come to grips with our strengths and weaknesses. Kudos to you. I’m sure the pizza was yummy and no heartburn was involved.
    I tried for years and years to ‘bake’….alas, I am NOT a baker, so off to the bakery I go.

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    • Suz, thanks for your support. I agree, I have come to grips with my limitations on this point and will give up knowing I gave it the old college try. Forward go I into the brave new world of commercially-made frozen pizza dough.

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  53. So glad I finally realized you had long since come off the holiday hiatus. My goodness my brain has been in a fog.
    That said, I have never made homemade pizza crust. I’ve barely made cookies. So you are definitely not alone here! At least you’ve made the attempt! Way more than I’ve ever done.

    Liked by 2 people

    • L. Marie, thanks for stopping by. I got the idea to try to make pizza dough during this pandemic. I can assure I never tried before now, but it seemed like a good way to challenge myself. I’ve learned that I’m not good at it, so I’ll find another way to entertain myself. 🤷‍♀️

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    • philmouse, thanks for your support. It’s funny to me that some people say “never give up” like a positive mantra– but it’s really not good advice overall. Like when trying to make pizza dough, for instance. 🙄

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  56. I agree. There are definitely times when we should give up. I haven’t tried to make pizza dough in many years. I had a bread machine when my three were little but never replaced it once it went kaput.

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    • Amy, I never had a bread machine but I remember when they were popular. I feel like I tried to make the dough, using a couple different recipes, but am now beyond doing it again. I give up, with no problems about it. Call me sane.

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  57. I won’t claimed to make great pizza dough, and I stubbornly include whole wheat flour. It is edible, though. I gave up on bread baking until recently when I tried a super simple method that works great. I might try turning into pizza dough. We’ll see. I agree there are times to give up and go with a pro. Hey, I used to change the oil in my cars. Never going there again!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Eilene, you changed the oil in your car! Oh that is very impressive, but I’m glad you’ve go pro on that one. I wish all the best turning your bread recipe into pizza dough. It could work… for you. 😉

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  59. I’m outraged! This is nothing but keyboard bravado (a term I picked up from the radio yesterday and quite liked, so decided to use here)! You would never talk about giving up making pizza dough to our faces! 😉

    Seriously though, I’m rather lucky, I guess. The husband makes our pizza dough.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The Travel Architect, “keyboard bravado” is a great term. I’m honored to have it applied to this post, and will remember it henceforth. Talk about an accurate term for our times.

      You’re fortunate to have someone in the house who can make good pizza dough. It’s a gift, a skill, that I do not have. Enjoy your ‘zas.

      Liked by 1 person

  60. I think some people have a sensitivity to commercial yeast. Maybe you don’t want to think about it, but…have you ever considered making sourdough starter and using that for pizza dough?

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  61. Ally, I’ve never made pizza. David’s got Pizza Hut on speed dial. For really good pizza, we like Urban Crust and the Mellow Mushroom!

    Wisdom comes in all forms but usually involves “giving up” and “embracing” that which is, Young Grasshopper! Enjoy your new-found wisdom! LOL! Mona

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    • Mona, we don’t have any good pizza joints near us, so attempting to make our own dough made sense. However, it is frozen dough from now on… unless I stumble upon something better.

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  62. The filter on that photo makes it look like some kind of mutant microbe, or maybe an alien life-form.

    Anyway, at least you can say you tried. I like baking, but using yeast intimidates me for some reason. Mostly I think I’m just too impatient to wait for the yeast to do its thing. Pre-made and frozen is not a bad alternative!

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    • Pistachios, I like your description of the frozen pizza dough. Mutant microbe seems apt.

      I’m like you about yeast. I can bake but all the messing around with/waiting for the yeast to rise bores me. Hence frozen dough for us, even if it does look like an alien life-form. 😊

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  63. I’ve never attempted to make homemade pizza, but then I burnt the slice-n-bake cookies, so I’m not sure I should venture up that many rungs on the cooking ladder at a time. Ally, you are a braver woman than I. 🙂

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    • Gibberish, if it weren’t for Covid-19 and staying home all the time, I doubt that I would have tried to make the dough. But I did. I learned my limits, and now will avoid doing so again. 🙄

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  65. I’m with you all the way on this. Sometimes the best thing to do is admit defeat and move on. My husband is the baker in our household because I have trouble following directions. I’m an excellent and intuitive cook, and I rarely follow a recipe (or only use them as a guideline for measurements although even then, I eyeball things rather than break out the measuring spoons and cups). Baking, however, often requires adherence to certain rules. The only thing I bake these days are snickerdoodles. I’ve got that recipe down pat.

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    • Robin, I like to bake but don’t do it often. You’re right about how it requires measurements and focus, and like you I’m more of an intuitive cook at this point in life. I haven’t made snickerdoodles in a while. Hmmm, I sense a cookie baking spree in my future.

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  68. I commend your efforts but I see no reason to even attempt homemade pizza, let alone homemade pizza dough, when there are so many wonderful pizza places which deliver. We have an Italian place here which has spoiled me for any other pizza…. But then I have never attempted making bread either…..I like the idea of it, but think it takes too much effort.

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    • Joni, we don’t have any good pizza places around here. We have an okay one that doesn’t deliver– and the ones that deliver are awful. That’s how I got going down this road to making homemade pizza. I figured we could do better– and with the frozen dough we do make a good pizza so we’ll use it. If nothing else I’ve found a way to entertain myself learning that I don’t make good pizza crusts.

      Liked by 1 person

  69. Can I join your team?? I’ve given up on the sourdough thingy which everyone seemed to be mastering at during the first lockdown here in France… Bakery are here for a reason, right?!

    Liked by 1 person

    • VO, yes, please feel free to join my team. There are many of us on this team. I’ve not tried to make the sourdough starter, so kudos to you for trying. I agree about bakeries, why drive yourself nuts when they exist.

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  70. I have an extraordinary level of stick-to-it-ness in most things in life … except when it comes to cooking. I will happily abandon anything that isn’t simple and idiot-proof. There are no do-overs in my kitchen.

    And homemade pizza was abandoned a long time ago. Life is just too short.

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