Pretzel crust pizza

We are slowly but surely getting settled into our new house. One of the best things is that I now have a much larger kitchen with more storage and counter space which makes cooking so much easier! I'm trying to get everything organized in a way that works best for me. 

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Now on to this pizza. Not just any ordinary pizza, a pizza crust made of soft pretzel dough! It's an amazing thing that I only wish I had discovered earlier! 

I think everyone knows that we love pizza around here, including different crusts from pan to pumpkin. Homemade pizza is a weekend standard around here. You can make it in so many different ways and it's impossible for it to get old. 

This pizza dough is definitely worth mixing into your routine because it's a fun and delicious twist on pizza. This recipe is slightly adapted from here.

Pretzel crust pizza
for the dough:
1-1/3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
about 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup baking soda 
cornmeal, for sprinkling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
coarse salt, for sprinkling
for topping:
about 1 cup tomato or pizza sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pepperoni, or other toppings of your choice, optional
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until foamy. Add the flour starting with 3 cups along with the salt. Mix until a tacky dough forms, adding more flour 1/4 cup at a time as needed.

Use your hands on a floured surface or the dough hook of your stand mixer to knead for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough and let rest for 10 minutes.

Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Slowly add the baking soda (it will bubble). Carefully place the dough into the water. Let boil for 60 seconds and then carefully turn the dough over using a spider or large slotted spoon and boil for another 60 seconds. Carefully life the dough and shake off excess water. Transfer to a pizza stone or baking sheet that have been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Gently press out the dough until it is about 10-11 inch circle (or until it fits your pan). Brush the crust with the melted butter and then sprinkle coarse salt along the outer edge to make the pretzel crust. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and top with the sauce, cheese, Italian seasoning, and any other toppings of your choice, leaving the outer crust bare. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese and crust are golden, about 12-15 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.