Pizza

Pizza, or should I say a great way to use up the odds and ends in your fridge.  My family loves pizza, it is something I can tailor to every body's liking.  I my dough makes enough for 2 large pizzas about 14" in diameter.  This way I can make a quarter of veggie for me, a quarter of cheese for one child and the rest meat for the 3 others in my family.  I've listed some of the ingredients below for the pizza we had the other night. They can always change.  Sometimes we have a few pieces of different meats to use up, a few veggies that need to be used, either raw or cooked, various types of cheese that need to be used.  As I mentioned your imagination is the limit.  

As for the crust go ahead and buy a pre-made crust or try one of the 2 recipes I use.

This one I found in a Martha Stewart book.  It works really well except you have to plan on making the dough an hour or so ahead of time.

1 ¼ cups luke warm water.

2 ¼ tsp yeast

1 ½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose white flour

Mix yeast and water in mixer.  Add salt and olive oil and mix.  Add flours, one cup at a time.  Mix until dough comes together. Kneed until dough pulls away clean from sides of bowl.  

Put dough in a greased bowl and let rest for 1 hour.

Divide into 4 individual pizzas or 2 large.  ½  of bread dough can also be frozen if just making for 2 people.

The other recipe I use is from  Bread in 5 min a Day.  The advantage here is that you make a large loaf and can pull off as much as you need 1/2 before you are cooking the pizza.  I only had problems one time when the dough was on the old side.  It was way too sticky.  Otherwise it has been great. 

As for cooking my pizzas I've use the Big Green Egg or my oven in which I have a pizza stone.  Both cook at about 425 for 15 minutes give or take a little.

Which ever way you choose you will enjoy the meal.  

Today's pizza ingredients (sausage, a few spinach leaves, eggplant, tomatoes)

 Bon Appétit!

Beth

My pizza dough starting to rise