This recipe is for the whole family! Good old pizza. From trial and error, and some tips from my Sicilian koumbari (that's right, a REAL GODFATHA!), I found different brands and types of flour yield a different product.
For this recipe I recommend bread flour, or 00 (double zero) if you can find it. If you have to use all purpose, King Arthur flour makes a great crust. Bottom line, whatever you have will work just fine! What matters the most is cooking temperature and the layering of the ingredients.
Over the years I have purchased a pizza stone, pizza cutter, and a pizza peel. You do not need any of these things. Just as a reminder, commercial pizza oven temperatures soar to 800-900 degrees, home ovens will never get that high. Don't beat yourself up if the bottom doesn't get color, it will still taste great!
I love this recipe because it is...
Easy
Delicious
Versatile
This recipe makes 4 medium or 8 small pies. You can also cut the dough in half, form two balls and freeze them in lightly greased freezer bags for up to 3 weeks, no problem. I double the recipe, and freeze half, including the sauce and cheese! Thaws flawlessly and I don't have to make it from scratch every time.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients
3 1/2-4 cups of bread/00 flour*
1 envelope instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water**
2 tablespoons olive oil + extra to grease your hands
*Can sub all-purpose, but it will be chewy not crispy
**110 degrees, just enough when you put your finger in it, it is hot, but doesn't burn
Directions
1. In a stand mixer bowl, use a dough hook on the lowest setting to combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast
2. Slowly add in water and then olive oil
3. Once the dough has formed a ball on the hook, lightly grease your hands with olive oil and remove the dough from the hook to form a ball and place back in the bowl
5. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place (like on top of your preheating oven!), for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Raw Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
1 29oz can of tomato sauce*
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (about 10)
4-6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
*You can sub anything here really, San Marzano canned tomatoes work really well because they are sweet. If your tomato sauce base isn't sweet, you can always add a pinch of sugar
Directions
Use a food processor and pulse about 10-15 times, take your time
Don't blend because then the sauce color will be orange, it will still taste great but it won't be red. Make the consistency the way you like it, we like it finer, some like it chunkier. Up to you.
Method
Ingredients
Grated parmesan cheese
1/2-1 cup mozzarella Cheese (shredded or small cubes)
Extra virgin olive oil
Parchment paper
Flour or cornmeal
Optional:
Pepperoni
Sliced Olives
Red Onion
Extra basil
Leftover dinner meat
Sky is the limit!
Preparing the Pie
1. Flour the dough well on each side and stretch out the dough, watch this video
2. Lightly poke holes in the dough with a fork, avoid the crust
3. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of sauce in the center of the pie and spread the sauce out to the crust (less is more, too much sauce gives you a soggy pie)
4. Transfer the dough to lightly floured surface (I like the taste of cornmeal) like parchment paper or a cookie sheet.
5. Layer: sauce, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, drizzle of olive oil (toppings would go on at this point)
Cooking
550 on a very well preheated pizza stone for 8 minutes or 450 center rack for 15 minutes or until it looks ready
For My Vegan Friends
I was vegan all during lent this year and had a lot of time to experiment! I liked to make a focaccia bread and a white balsamic dipping sauce. This also makes a fantastic appetizer. It throughly satisfied the craving and even had the meat eaters coming back for seconds...and thirds!
Ingredients
Daiya shredded mozzarella
Vegan grated "cheese"
White balsamic vinegar (can sub any good balsamic)
Extra virgin olive oil
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
White Balsamic Dipping Sauce
Roughly:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano*
Salt
Pepper
*Crush it between your fingers to release the oil and make it fragrant!
Method
1. Do everything above to make your dough and stretch it
2. Skip the cheese (or use vegan "cheese" like Daiya parmesan cheese and mozzerella shreds) and go straight for the toppings. My favorite is sliced red onion, oregano, red pepper flakes, chiffonade of basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
3. Cook according to above directions
4. Cut up and dip in balsamic sauce, delish!!
General Tips:
-If you are using a stone, preheat your oven to 550, or as high as it will go, with the stone about 6-8 inches from the top.
-If you are using a pan/skillet, preheat it alone in oven for 10 minutes
-If you are using a peel, dust it first with ground cornmeal/semolina/flour, then place the stretched out dough and top it with sauce and cheese
-Use convection if you have it
-Clean your stone/pan and peel between pies. Also, change your parchment paper if its burned between pies.