Latest Pizza Recipe

We like to test out new pizza crust recipes, but I realized I haven't shared our latest go-to recipe. We've been using this one for over a year. It's the recipe we reach for when we just want to get it done right the first time and know we'll like the result. Also, I'll generally do two batches, leaving one to rise for dinner. I'll put the second batch into sealed containers after I divide it up and place it directly into the freezer. Then when I can't take time to make dough (though it doesn't feel like it takes very long now), I just have to remember to take it out of the freezer the morning of the day I want to use it.

Pizza Crust Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 C warm water (100-110 F)
1 1/2 TBSP honey
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
22 1/2 oz. bread flour
2 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Mix honey into water, then add yeast, and allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix bread flour and salt in bowl of mixer.
3. Add yeast mixture to the flour and knead with the dough hook. Dough should pull away from sides of the bowl and still stick to the bottom slightly. If the dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour.
4. Check the dough periodically, and do a windowpane test. When the dough stretches without breaking, stop kneading.
5. Divide dough into three equal portions, and gently work them into a ball. Spray three bowls with cooking spray, and add dough.
6. Cover each dough ball with a thin layer of cooking spray, then cover the bowl with a towel. Allow dough to rest in a warm place at least until double in size (about 45 minutes to an hour), but feel free to leave it on the counter all day.
7. Preheat oven to 550 F or as high as your oven will allow.
8. Gently work dough into a 14-15" circle.
9. Cover pizza with desired toppings, and brush crust with olive oil. Bake on stone until crust is golden brown (about 7 minutes).

Rainbow of Peppers

We've enjoyed all colors of peppers the last couple weeks, either eating them raw as a snack before meals, on our pizza, or in other dishes (delicious fajitas recipe coming up soon). The little boy also enjoys requesting the peppers by color, usually asking for the orange or yellow ones but eating all that are on his plate. If only there were blue and purple peppers available, too. Just after I took this picture, he said a very happy, "Yum."

He got so excited about decorating the pizza that he placed his final pepper strips on it after it came out of the oven. Peppers must be a good pizza topping both cooked or raw.

Pepperoni Portobello Pizzas

Last night's meal was Pepperoni Portobello Pizzas with leftover bean soup from the night before. These were really quick and delicious, but I could have probably eaten three or four. Also, I couldn't find the mushrooms as cheap as I probably needed to for meeting the price per serving listed in the recipe. But it's still a good, healthy, quick meal for when you need one. Even the baby wanted more!

Pizza Pizza

When we returned from Long Island on Sunday night, we were in the mood for pizza. We used a variety of cheeses on each one, including mozzarella, some feta, and also leftover fontina cheese from our soup and sandwich night.

I would have taken pictures of all the varieties, but we kept eating them faster than I could snap the shots.

We're really enjoying this pizza crust for all topping varieties and even as leftovers. Next time we'd like to add a little honey with the yeast to see if we like it better.

De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies

Zagat came through once again with a good meal out during our cyclocross racing weekend travels. We stopped by De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies to pick up two pizzas on the way to the hotel. I think it's probably the closest we've had in the US to what we tasted in Italy (though still different). The pizzas are full of good flavor, are light on the cheese, and have great fresh ingredients. It all melds together well in your mouth, with much less grease than we usually find with take-out pizza.

We've been loving fresh basil on our pizzas, so the first pizza had pepperoni with basil. To have a little extra for tomorrow, we got a second small pizza with sausage. Then, when we were paying for the order, they threw an extra cheese pizza onto our stack of boxes. We always love free food, especially when it's good free food.

Also, the restaurant is so popular that the wait for our pizza order was an hour for us to walk out with it! I just wonder if the wait inside would have been longer or shorter. Luckily the hotel was close, and we could wait comfortably in anticipation. The pizzas are delicious, and they were a good start to the evening of catching up on some missed Friday Night Lights episodes.

14" Pizza Crust

This is the current reigning pizza crust of the ones we've tried. (adapted from Cooking Light's Basic Pizza Dough)

INGREDIENTS
1 tsp yeast
3/4 C warm water (100-110 F)
(6.7 oz is the latest weight, but we're still tweaking it)
8.8 oz bread flour
3/4 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Allow yeast to dissolve in water for approximately five minutes.
2. Whisk flour and salt together in bowl of mixer.
3. Add yeast mixture to the bowl and knead with the dough hook for about five minutes. Dough should pull away from sides of the bowl and still stick to the bottom slightly. Check the dough periodically to make sure it is tacky to the touch. Add a small amount of flour if the dough is too sticky.
4. Spray a bowl with cooking spray, and add dough to bowl. Cover with a thin layer of cooking spray, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes to an hour).
5. Preheat oven to 550 F or as high as your oven will allow.
6. Punch dough down, and make into 14" circle.
7. Cover pizza with desired ingredients, and brush crust with olive oil. Bake on stone until crust is golden brown (about 7 minutes).

I discussed this recipe here.