This recipe starts with an 18 oz. loaf of frozen, yeast rising, stone ground wheat dough (for normal bread). If you can find it commercially, more power to you. Most though, will have to make their own and store away the loaves in the freezer after the first rising. It makes no sense to make bread dough one loaf at a time. And at parties, the steps through the first rising are not what you want in a busy kitchen. Make it, freeze it, give it an hour to thaw, give or take, depending on room temp. Don't nuke it to defrost it. You'll kill the yeast. Take it out to thaw it in the fridge beforehand if you want to make it right away when you get home from work.

Ingredients:
1- 18 oz. stone ground wheat dough loaf (after first rising)
16-24 oz mozzerella, shredded
up to 3 lbs of topping (ground round, mushrooms, bell pepper, olive, onion, ham, spinach, asparagus, sausage, pepperoni, whatever the prevailing attitudes accept as decent pizza)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
pizza spices (I personally use half Mexican oregano, a quarter basil, and smaller equal amounts (1/12 each) of marjoram, rosemary leaf, and rubbed sage, everything ground fine to a powder in a hand mill. I make it up in quantity and seal it in a nice, air-tight decorator jar for quick dispensing when cooking.)

Equipment:
12 inch pizza pan
Large (4") pizza wheel (circular knife)
Large cutting board (16" square minimum)
Cheese shredder
Small sauce pot
Utensils for cooking toppings (if necessary)
Cutting board and knife for topping prep. (A fine slicing board is required for stick pepperoni. Make sure that you first remove the paper before slicing it paper thin.)

     Pizza isn't that hard to make. Preheat the oven to 425š F. Press the dough out by hand onto the sheet, filling the area. Stone ground wheat dough doesn't twirl. Getting it to fit a circular pan takes a little coaxing, but be gentle and take care not to tear the dough. You don't want it leaking. If it's still frozen in the middle, give it extra time to thaw once you spread it as far as it will go without forcing it. If using a non-stick pizza sheet, press it out dry, using NO oil or spray, as this will ruin the finish in a hurry. For a regular sheet, a light oil film will help prevent sticking.
     The sauce needs to cook down a bit to blend the spices and remove the excess water. Tomato paste is a little thick, and sauce a little thin, so let the sauce simmer until it's in between. Cover the top of the sauce lightly with ground seasoning, about two tablespoons on the average. For a more aromatic taste, you can add more, up to double. It takes a try or two to find the right amount, and it can be adjusted for any particular cooking.
     Any toppings that need cooking, mostly meats, but also some veges, need to be fully cooked and drained. The hamburger pizza takes 2 lbs. of quality ground chuck or round. It's crumbled, cooked, drained, and pressed dry of any grease that can be squeezed out.
     Some of my most requested combos are the Hamburger/onion (CheeseBurg Pie), olive/onion/ham (Picky Perky Special), pepperoni (Paper Oni Monster), and the spinach/broccoli/cauliflower/bell pepper/olive/onion/jalapeno (Mount Vegsuvius).
     The sauce is spread across the dough, then the toppings are added, then the shredded mozzarella (16 oz. is normal, 24 oz. is extra cheese At sixteen slices per pie, this comes out to 1 - 1 1/2 oz of cheese per slice. Shredding this much cheese on a regular basis soon leads one to purchasing a mechanical shredder. Note, mozzarella and other soft cheeses are rough on food processors. Buy something designed to shred semi-soft cheese, like a heavy duty Salad Shooter. When oven ready, it should stand a monstrous 2-3" tall and feel nice and hefty.
     Cook for about ten to twelve minutes at 425š F, until crust is formed on the bottom. The cheese is usually just browning and starting to run off of the edges of the sheet.
     Note that the cheese is on top of the toppings because of the quantities involved. This pie weighs 3-5 lbs when done, and if the toppings were on top, the cheese wouldn't melt until the crust was burnt.

     My one criteria that stands above all others is the cheese. Pick a really good cheese, or you're wasting your time and money. Good mozzarella is soft and spongy to the touch, and it isn't necessarily more expensive. If it feels like a brick, it will eat like a brick, and it will take longer to melt while cooking, burning more on top and bottom before done. It also won't taste nearly as good. Other cheeses can be used, but again, they may cause the pie to be more done than desired. Find the right cheese and stick with it. I happen to use a simple store brand, because it's the best available. (That is seldom the case, but in this instance, it is, by some miracle.) If you're really out for a kick, throw on a little Brie.
     Next on the critical list is a decent pepperoni. Most available pepperoni is too hard and dry from sitting on the warehouse and store shelves too long. Steaming it briefly will help, but a good pepperoni source is better. It can be harder to find than a good mozzarella. Cut it paper thin on a slicing board, or have the butcher cut it for you at the store with a rotary slicer at its finest setting. (Not just paper thin, but onion skin thin.)

     Home Pie will serve sixteen, satisfy eight, or stuff four big hungry guys into seeking a couch or recliner for serious digestive comas. I love making these for a few friends and watching them eat their fill. When I make these at parties, there are seldom enough for seconds, more often disappointed faces. The lines for immediate consumption are usually sixteen long or longer for the first three or four pies out of the oven. (And this is serious pot luck I'm talking, not some one dish affair. There is plenty of serious competition for stomach space, and it still vanishes.) This a serious demand item.

     This recipe has spoiled me for commercial pizza. Yes, there is the occasional locally owned and operated pizzaria that can rival my recipe, but not many. One or two per major city is about it (not counting maybe NY and Chicago). But even then, I'll still prefer mine. I don't have to go out for it and bring it in cold or tip the delivery boy. And this recipe nukes very well, in case on the chance that there is some left over. (Maybe if you dine alone.) It's been a long time since I've eaten anyone else's pie.