Pizza Crust

When I got married, the Hubs came with a pizza stone.  I'll admit, I was intimidated by it.  I had no clue how to use it.  But I did have regular pizza pans.  That sat in the cupboard.  Why?  My crust would never bake evenly, it was difficult to work with, and I just did not enjoy making homemade pizza.  Until I learned how to use a pizza stone.  I was watching PBS one morning (oh yeah, I'm a public television person) and caught a cooking show where they were teaching you how to use a pizza stone!  And then I understood the beauty of having a pizza stone.  




The key was to place your pizza stone in the oven as it is preheating, and you preheat it to the hottest temp it will go (usually somewhere between 450 and 500).  Leave it in there for at least 20 minutes.  Then remove stone and place your pizza on the hot stone and return to the oven.  Perfect crust every time!  But be careful, with that perfect crust comes an extremely hot pizza stone.  Make sure you have hot pads!  And I usually set my pizza stone on my stove top after removing it from the oven.  It's way too hot to place on a non-heat proof surface!

A couple tips: It's best to sprinkle your counter with cornmeal or semolina flour before you roll out your dough.  That way, it won't stick to the counter and will make it easy to transfer to you hot pizza stone.  Also, spread your sauce out to the edges and then sprinkle a thin layer of cheese before adding your toppings.  Then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  This gives your toppings something to "grab" onto instead of sliding off your sauce.  

Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Cooking spray to grease bowl

Directions:

1. Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle yeast on water and then sugar.  Allow yeast to dissolve and become bubbly.  Add half of the flour and all of the oil, salt and sugar. Mix on low speed until combined.  Add enough of the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough is easy to handle. Knead more flour in, if needed, until dough becomes smooth and satiny.

2. Spray a large bowl with the cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place 20 minutes. 

3. Gently push your fist into the dough to deflate it. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. (If dough should double in size during refrigeration, gently push fist into dough to deflate it.) 

4. Place pizza stone in oven and preheat to the highest your oven will go (400-500 degrees).  Roll dough out into a round that will fit your pizza stone.  Place dough on hot pizza stone, adjust with your fingertips, and add your sauce and toppings.  Return pizza to oven and bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes.  Slide pizza onto cutting board and slice 8 pieces.

Makes 1 medium crust

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Pizza Sauce

I think I've adequately expressed my affinity for pizza.  There's no love-hate.  Just love.  Here's the thing though, I've had a hard time with red sauce.  Mostly due to the preservatives and how acidic they make the tomatoes.  But I just want traditional pizza every once in a while.  How do I fix my problem?  I make my own sauce, of course!  And not only does it taste awesome, it smells awesome when you are making it.  And it makes enough for 2 pizzas!  Add it to your favorite crust and mmmmmm....I'm thinking pizza tonight.

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 Tbs. dried oregano

1/2 Tbs. dried basil
2 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Add onion and garlic and sautee until onion becomes translucent.

2. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, and salt.  Bring to a simmer.  Add more salt to desired taste.

3. While hot, pour sauce into a food processor or blender.  Process on high until sauce is smooth.

4. Pour 1 cup into a container for later use.  Keep refrigerated, up to 3 weeks.  Repeat with other cup or use immediately.

Makes 2 cups

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French Bread Pizza

We're back to pizza.  Can you tell I like pizza?  No, I LOVE pizza.  Our relationship is probably more serious than is healthy for me, but I love warm, crispy crust and melted cheese.  And variety.  Deep dish, thin crust.  Red sauce, white sauce.  Veggie or meat lovers.  I'll take it.

Growing up we would have pizza and root beer Fridays.  My parents would lay a blanket down on the floor and let us eat on the floor while we were watching a movie together.  It was the highlight of the week.  Very often we had French Bread Pizza.  My parents opted for this version of pizza, because of its' simplicity and ease.

You can top this with anything you want.  I prefer to use a red pizza sauce.  But as you can see in the image, I did try it with a white sauce and it was still delicious.  Add meats, vegetables, pile it up.  The crust is, by default, crispy.  And putting it under the broiler melts the cheese quickly without burning the crust.

French Bread Pizza

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Other toppings of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven on broil.  Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Slice French bread loaf in half, lengthwise.  Place on pan.  Spread pizza sauce on bread.  Add toppings.  Sprinkle cheese over top.

3. Place pan under broiler and cook for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown.  Remove and slice into 12 pieces.

Serves 6

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Grilled Pizza

I've told you all many times about the heat in Vegas.  I think you are well aware that we live in the desert and from June to October we're 100+ degrees.  So, for me to use the oven takes something pretty dang special. Pizza is usually one of those special things.  Until now.




I'm sorry, but when it's 113 degrees outside, I avoid turning on the oven like the plague.  So when I was
craving a crispy, thin crust vegetable pizza I knew I had to figure out how to make it on the grill.  Plus, I needed a good excuse to make a bread dough in my new KitchenAid stand mixer.  Yeah, The Hubs kind of knows how to win me over - buy me kitchen gadgets.  I'm THAT predictable.

When Summer hits, I don't want to mess with heavy ingredients.  I like light.  And nothing beats a nice garlic and herb infused olive oil spread to put on top of that crispy crust.  Add some fresh vegetables like red pepper, mushrooms, spinach (remember, I also like color!) and I'm head over heels in love with the party going on in my mouth.










Grilling pizza may sound complicated and difficult.  It may sound like you need a lot of different utensils to
make.  Guess what, it was THE EASIEST way I've ever made pizza (except using the Papa John's app on my phone).  And it's super fast.  Like from very start to finish took 1 hour.  Cooking took 5 minutes.  LOVING IT!  And the smoky taste that the grill adds to it makes it taste like you're eating at a gourmet pizza place.  Pizza, on the grill.  Get 'er done.

Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:

4 1/2 Tbs. (or two packets) yeast
1 cup hot water
4 1/2 Tbs. sugar
2 3/4 cups bread flour
2 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tbs. dried oregano
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
Sliced baby bella mushrooms
Sliced olives
Spinach leaves
Artichoke heart quarters
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, and oregano.  Stir with a fork.  Cover and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine hot water, yeast and sugar.  Allow yeast to work for about 15 minutes or until foamy.

3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. canola oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Add yeast mixture.  Mix on low until moistened.  Add remaining flour, oil, and salt.  Continue to mix on medium, allowing dough to knead for a few minutes until dough is smooth.  If dough is still sticky, sprinkle 1/4 cup flour onto counter and knead by hand until flour is incorporated.

4. Grease a large bowl and transfer dough.  Cover with saran wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour.



5. Preheat grill on high heat.  Remove dough and divide into 4 equal parts.  Using fingers, flatten out into a round that is 1/4 inch thick.  Spray grill grates with nonstick cooking spray.  Place dough directly on grates.  Cook for 2 minutes or until bottom of dough has grill marks and can be removed easily from grates.  If dough is still sticking to grates, allow to cook a little longer.  Remove from grill and place cooked side up.  Reduce heat to medium.

6. Spread olive oil mixture over top of each crust (cooked side) and top with vegetables and 1/2 cup of cheese each.  Place back on grill and close cover.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bottom of crust is cooked.

Serves 4

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Chicago Style Pizza

I remember the first time I saw Chicago Style Pizza.  On "Man vs. Food."  Yes, I'm an Adam Richman junkie.  BUT, in my defense, some of the best places I've eaten at have been on his show.  The minute I saw this bohemith of a pie, I knew I had to try my hand at it.  First things first, I had to get my hands on a deep dish pizza pan.  And I wanted one that had been used.  I think it's the only thing I've bought for my kitchen that has been used.  I hopped on Ebay and found one that had been used by a pizza place back East.  Nice and seasoned.





Then, I went on a mission to create the best deep dish crust.  First trial - fail, to chewy.  Second trial - EPIC fail, burned.  Third trial - combined the first two with a little tweaking and I got a winner!  This dough is so nice and buttery, not too heavy with a little crisp to it.  Load it up with cheese then toppings.  Then the sauce.  It's not your typical pizza sauce.  Chunks of tomatoes.  It just makes the whole thing rich and yummy.  One slice will do.  I promise.











Oh, word to the wise, don't try to roll out this crust.  Seriously, work with your hands.  Go to the sink, wash them well because you are going to be elbow deep into this deep dish pizza.  Don't be afraid of overworking it.  I seriously spend most of the assembly time just getting the dough settled into the pan.  But it's so worth it.

Chicago Style Pizza

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. salt
4-5 cups bread flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup cornmeal

Toppings:

4 cups finely shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced olives
2 cups diced grilled chicken

Sauce:

2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes
1 jar pizza sauce


Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar.  Allow yeast to activate.

2. Add salt and olive oil.  Add flour, starting with 3 cups.  Mix until incorporated.  Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time until dough is elastic and smooth.  Place in large bowl, sprayed with cooking spray and covered with plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rest for 2-4 hours or until doubled.

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Sprinkle cornmeal in deep dish pizza pan.  Place dough in pan, spreading to edges with your fingers.  Press dough up the sides of the pan.

4. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over dough.  Then add the toppings.  Finally, combine diced tomatoes with pizza sauce and spread over top.

5. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until crust is browned.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

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