Despite my fondness for all manner of “foodie” meals, I would happily eat pizza any night of the week. My family shares my pizza love, so needless to say we’ve logged quite a few hours sussing out the best pie in Dallas. Although we’ve yet to decide on a favorite, Tony’s, Patrizio, Louie’s, Campisis and Picassos comprise our top five list.

Photo: Joslyn Taylor

But during my recent eat-well-on-the-cheap experiment, I finally discovered the joys of homemade pizza. Though still quite the novice, (I’m still tweaking my technique, specifically working on getting the crust super thin… I’m open to tips!) I can safely say that I’d put one of my wonky scratch made pizzas up against a restaurant pie any day of the week. Plus, there’s the fact that even the most elaborate homemade pizza (think arugula, goat cheese, organic sausage and caramelized onions) is cheaper than one from our top five list.

And truly, making homemade crust, despite my years of trepidation and fear, is surprisingly easy — and fun. There are any number of great pizza dough recipes floating around, but I’m partial to the one from the Tamara Davis Cooking show (bonus, her quick, highly entertaining videos, make it hard to screw up a recipe) Plus, Davis is exceptionally cool (she’ an acclaimed director, married to Beastie Boy Mike D., and an avid and passionate cook), so I try to channel her a bit as I’m kneading the dough, upping my hip factor if only in my own mind.

Pizza Dough (for 4 small pizzas) adapted from Tamra Davis Cooking Show

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of bread flour

• 1 package of active dry yeast

• 1½ Teaspoons of salt

• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions:

Sprinkle 1 package of active dry yeast in a half a cup of warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Put flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse.

Add olive oil, yeast, and another 1 ½ cups of room temperature water. Pour the water in slowly while the food processor is on.

Stop blending when the dough binds. If it is too moist add more flour, if it is too dry add a little more water.

Knead the dough on a floured surface into a ball. Place the dough ball into a well-oiled bowl. Seal with plastic wrap or foil. Make sure the seal is tight to keep the dough moist. Let it sit for 2 hours.

It should double in size. On a well-floured surface, shape your dough by using your hands, into pizzas. Place them on parchment paper until you are ready to use.