Fourth Grade Activity Compare convenience foods and preparing foods at home. Basic Pizza Crust makes four (4) 7-inch pizzas Materials/Equipment Needed: Ingredients for Pizza Crust Ingredients for pizza toppings Mixing bowls, spoons, measuring utensils Thermometer 2 Large cookie sheets (2 pizzas per pan) Book-The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza Oven Pot holders Ingredients: 2 ½ to 3 cups all purpose flour (may be part whole wheat flour) 1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) or 2 ¼ teaspoons fast rising dry yeast ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup very warm water (125 to 130 degrees F.) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon cornmeal Garlic powder Toppings of your choice: (Four personal pizzas): 1 can (14-oz) tomato/pizza sauce ¼ lb. (4 oz.) browned and drained sausage or ground meat OR 4 oz. ham, deli meat, pepperoni (buy reduced fat) ¼ cup each sliced mushrooms, onion, olives, peppers 1 cup shredded mozzarella or blend of cheeses To make Pizza Crusts: In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast and salt. Mix water and oil together; add to flour mixture. Stir until ingredients are blended. Add small amounts of additional flour until dough forms a rough ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead in bowl or on clean, lightly floured surface until dough is smooth, about 4 to 6 minutes. Divide into four even pieces, shape into smooth balls. Place bowl over dough pieces and allow to rest 10 minutes. Prepare toppings. Lightly oil cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Use hands to pat dough pieces into flat round crusts on cookie sheets so they are not touching. Pinch to form an edge. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With fork, prick the crust surface every few inches. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Select toppings. Spread ¼ can (1/3 cup) sauce over crust, top with 1 oz meat, 1 tablespoon of each vegetable topping and ¼ cup (1 oz.) shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. BOOKS FOR READING TOGETHER view more books in family fun month references and resources directory The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza. Philemon Sturges. 1999. Dutton Children's Books, NY. ISBN: 0-525-45953-7 WORDS TO LEARN: Resourceful: readily able to act effectively The American Heritage Dictionary, 1981 BAKE FOR FAMILY FUN EXPLORATION: Consider the resources it takes to produce, package, freeze or bake and deliver the 3 billion pizzas Americans eat annually. We each consume 46 slices or 23 lbs each year. Each day, Americans eat enough pizza to cover nearly 110 football fields. . .that's 110 acres of pizza each day!!!! By learning to make pizza, (skills to "do-it-yourself" is resourceful), we can build a fun party or save our family food dollars every week. List ingredient costs to compare food costs of homemade vs. already made pizzas. While the pizzas bake, discuss environmental costs of commercially made pizza such as packaging, refrigeration and freezer trucks, and fresh to-the-door delivery. Discuss times when your family eats pizza. Is there a way to make some of your own? What might help you plan to make it yourselves more often? Who could help? Would the savings in money or resources be worth it? When? Discuss the taste-is it great, okay, not as good? If not as good, what needs to be improved?