Simple Pizza

[jazzman]

Pizza dough

1 pkg. dry yeast
3/4 c. very warm water (110-120 degrees)
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar



Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Soak yeast in water for 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and sugar and mix to blend. Knead for 2-3 minutes until flour is well blended. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. With floured hands collect dough and roll out with floured rolling pin. Pick up dough and turn sideways and roll again to fit a 12 inch pizza pan. fold dough in half and slip onto pizza pan. Unfold and stretch the dough to the edges. Top pizza with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and toppings of your choice.Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and brush olive oil on crust edges. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Pizza Sauce

1- 8 oz can of tomato sauce.
1 clove of crushed garlic
1 tsp finely chopped onion
1 splash of soy sauce (about 1 tsp)
1 sprig of fresh oregano leaves or 2 dashes of dried oregano
1 sprig of fresh rosemary or a dash of dried rosemary crushed
2 tsp olive oil
Dash of salt

Mix ingredients well and put on pizza dough as is.

[jeeper]

I'll be honest Jazzman, I'm too lazy to make my own pizza. I just call in an order to La Bella and pickup my large pizza for $6.50, which could be cheaper than the cost of the ingredients to make my own.

[jazzman]

I was looking at your downtown photos in the other thread. As much as I liked looking at them I can never have the same satisfaction as you did taking them. You had to decide the best angle, the right settings for the camera, where is the sun and so on. Not knowing how it would turn out till later but yet trusting in the process and believing that you could take a great photo. The same can be said about cooking. It is not just about the food its self but the satisfaction of starting from scratch and producing something greater than the sum of it's parts.

[mustakister]

I've been making my own pizza for years. I make the dough in big batches and freeze in individual balls. I also make my sauce / pesto in advance and freeze. Instead of calling Pubic John's I can throw together a much better pizza in a matter of minutes. I do admit that it is not for everyone... it does take some planning / coordination to pull off for large crowds, but it is a great thing to do for family and friends.

My dough recipe is similar to jazzman's except I use honey instead of sugar + a little EVOO. I also use a Kitchen Aid dough hook to knead, and run it on medium speed for 8-10 minutes... this develops a lot more gluten and allows the dough to stretch more without tearing.

For thin and crispy dough, I thaw from frozen and use a rolling pin... for a more doughy crust, I stretch by hand and allow the flat dough to sit under a towel to rise just a little bit. I like using a pizza paddle with a stone in the oven instead of a pizza pan.

I also love the Boar's head pepperoni from United Deli... much better than the hormel. Also, splurge on the imported San Marzano tomatoes for your sauce and keep it simple... sauted onion, garlic, whole peeled tomatoes (crushed by hand), s&p, EVOO, and a pinch of sugar if needed. cook for just a little bit and puree if you like smooth sauce.

Pestos are a great alternative as well as white sauce. (Bechemel)

[itsmyopinion]

mustakister said:

I've been making my own pizza for years. I make the dough in big batches and freeze in individual balls. I also make my sauce / pesto in advance and freeze. Instead of calling Pubic John's I can throw together a much better pizza in a matter of minutes. I do admit that it is not for everyone... it does take some planning / coordination to pull off for large crowds, but it is a great thing to do for family and friends.

My dough recipe is similar to jazzman's except I use honey instead of sugar + a little EVOO. I also use a Kitchen Aid dough hook to knead, and run it on medium speed for 8-10 minutes... this develops a lot more gluten and allows the dough to stretch more without tearing.

For thin and crispy dough, I thaw from frozen and use a rolling pin... for a more doughy crust, I stretch by hand and allow the flat dough to sit under a towel to rise just a little bit. I like using a pizza paddle with a stone in the oven instead of a pizza pan.

I also love the Boar's head pepperoni from United Deli... much better than the hormel. Also, splurge on the imported San Marzano tomatoes for your sauce and keep it simple... sauted onion, garlic, whole peeled tomatoes (crushed by hand), s&p, EVOO, and a pinch of sugar if needed. cook for just a little bit and puree if you like smooth sauce.

Pestos are a great alternative as well as white sauce. (Bechemel)

DAYAM, thats sound gooood!! I love to make homemade pizza and even use the stones in my oven. I have never used my dough hooks to knead the dough. I have got to try that.

Thanks for the pizza hints!!

[itsmyopinion]

jazzman said:

Pizza dough

1 pkg. dry yeast
3/4 c. very warm water (110-120 degrees)
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar



Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Soak yeast in water for 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and sugar and mix to blend. Knead for 2-3 minutes until flour is well blended. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. With floured hands collect dough and roll out with floured rolling pin. Pick up dough and turn sideways and roll again to fit a 12 inch pizza pan. fold dough in half and slip onto pizza pan. Unfold and stretch the dough to the edges. Top pizza with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and toppings of your choice.Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and brush olive oil on crust edges. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Pizza Sauce

1- 8 oz can of tomato sauce.
1 clove of crushed garlic
1 tsp finely chopped onion
1 splash of soy sauce (about 1 tsp)
1 sprig of fresh oregano leaves or 2 dashes of dried oregano
1 sprig of fresh rosemary or a dash of dried rosemary crushed
2 tsp olive oil
Dash of salt

Mix ingredients well and put on pizza dough as is.

I have got try to your sauce recipe!
With you sauce recipe and mustakister's method of making crust, I am gonna have to make pizza! ;D ;D ;D

[mopnglo]

Well you've got me beat on making pizza. I use those little english muffins, topped with bottled pizza sauce and then use pepperoni and cheese, pop in the broiler for a few sec and presto.....easy pizza muffin things.

[mustakister]

Hey - nothing wrong with Pizza Quicks! I was raised on those things and still make them every now and them for my daughter. good stuff...

[tinkerbell]