Mini pizzas make for a fun and easy pizza night. Make the dough yourself or try one of our ready-made substitutions for a mini pizza dinner topped just the way you like it! Make a big batch for freezing!
Place the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Allow this to set for five minutes. The mixture will start to foam and bubble.
Add the oil, flour, salt, and herbs. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about five minutes until a smooth dough ball is formed.
Transfer the dough ball to a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
To make the dough in a bread machine
Combine the dough ingredients in the bread machine pan, according to the order recommended by the manufacturer.
Set on dough and start the machine, checking after ten minutes to make sure all the ingredients have been incorporated and not stuck to the side of the pan. Scrape down any stray ingredients to insure they are mixed in.
To make the dough in a stand mixer
Place the warm water in the mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Allow this to set for five minutes. The mixture will start to foam and bubble.
Add the oil, flour, salt, and herbs. Attach the dough hook and run the machine until all the ingredients are incorporated, stopping the machine to scrape the sides as necessary. Knead with the dough hook until a smooth dough ball is formed.
Transfer the dough ball to a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour.
Once the dough is ready
Preheat the oven to 500 °. Spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with corn meal to prevent sticking or line the pans with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
Divide the dough into 16 portions. Flatten each portion into a thin round and place on the cooking sheet.
Spread sauce and sprinkle toppings as desired.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is crisp and the cheese melted and lightly browned.
To freeze baked pizzas
Wrap cooled pizzas in foil or plastic wrap and stash in a larger ziptop freezer bag. Thaw and reheat in a 350 oven for about 5 minutes.
To freeze unbaked pizzas
Assemble the pizzas as directed, but instead of baking, place the trays in the freezer. Once the pizzas are frozen solid (this will take several hours), stack them between layers of patty papers or waxed paper and store in a freezer bag or box in the freezer. To serve: bake from frozen at 450 degrees, for 10 to 12 minutes.
Notes
Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1 mini pizza.Variations: Instead of making your own dough, you can substitute a pre-baked base such as mini bagels, English muffins, mini naan, or street taco-size tortillas for the pizza crust.Toppings can include: sliced pepperoni, cooked and crumbled sausage, diced ham or bacon, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced mushrooms, sliced olives, sliced peppers, or chopped pineapple.