Pizza
Source of Recipe
Master Chef Don Easley
Recipe Introduction
Making homemade pizza is one of the best and most creative ways of proving that meat is not a necessary part of a human's diet.
Yield 1 large or 2 small pizzas
Time 15 minutes
Tools:
pizza pan or stone
List of Ingredients
1 T flour or cornmeal
½ recipe pizza dough*
1-2 c Italian tomato sauce** (optional)
Toppings
*Pizza Dough:
7/8 c warm water (¾ c plus 2 T or 1 c minus 2 T)
1 T sugar
2 t active dry yeast
2¼ c white and/or whole wheat flour
½ t salt
1½ T olive oil
**Italian Tomato Sauce
¼ c olive oil
1 medium onion, preferably white, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1-2 T sugar (optional)*
¼ c minced oregano
1 T black pepper
1 t any/all of the following: rosemary, sage, thyme, or other herbs
¼ c grated parmesan cheese (optional) Recipe
Preheat oven to 450°.
Sprinkle the pizza pan or stone with cornmeal or flour, then set the rolled out pizza dough on top.
Add 1-2 c of tomato sauce, however much or little you like, then the rest of the toppings.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the crust is brown and top is bubbly.
Notes:
There are no rules - just throw everything you like on your pizza and see what happens!
Pizza Dough:
Stir together the water and the sugar, then stir in the yeast. Let stand in a warm spot until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Combine flour, salt, and 1 T olive oil, then work the foamy yeast in.
Flour your kitchen counter, then turn the dough out onto it. Knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add a bit more flour. If it's dry, add some water.
Oil the large bowl, drop in the dough, and turn it so that it is coated with oil.
Cover with plastic wrap or a towel, set in a warm place, and let rise for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.
Punch down the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes. Divide it into the desired number/size of pizzas, and roll each into a ball. Cover with a towel.
Roll each ball into a flat disk with a slightly raised edge. Sprinkle the pizza pan or stone with cornmeal or flour, then set the rolled-out pizza crust on top. Add toppings and bake according to your pizza recipe.
Notes It's ok to freeze leftover pizza dough for up to six months as long as it's well wrapped in plastic.
You can use this dough for calzones as well.
**Italian Tomato sauce:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. When it starts becoming translucent, add the garlic and sauté another 5 minutes.
Turn up the heat to high and add the tomatoes/tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir well to incorporate the paste.
Add the optional sugar, then bring to a boil. Lower heat, add the herbs and pepper, cover, and let simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: be very careful when you lift the lid - boiling sauce may splash your hands.
Lower heat, stir in optional cheese, and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Taste and adjust seasonings. If the sauce is too thick, you can add some water.
Notes:
*Sugar can be a bit tricky. I find that canned tomatoes are often a bit sour, so I try to add just enough sugar to counteract the sourness without actually making the sauce sweet. This can be difficult because the sugar gets stronger as the sauce cooks. When in doubt, start with just a t of sugar, cook for a while, taste, and add a bit more if needed.
The longer you cook this sauce, the thicker, richer, and (if using sugar) sweeter it will be.
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