Anchovy-Parmesan Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 anchovies packed in olive oil, drained and mashed


coarse-grain cornmeal for dusting
olive oil for greasing the bowl



Directions:

Pour warm water into the bottom of a stand mixer. Add sugar and yeast. Stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved. Stir the the anchovies, olive oil and salt. Add the flour and cheese.

Using the dough hook and mix until the dough becomes a smooth, elastic ball. At this point you can fold the dough onto itself a couple of times if you'd like. Coat the inside of a large bowl with additional olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl, smooth side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and use your fist to push down on the center of the dough. Fold the dough in half four or five times. Turn dough over, folded-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the warm spot to rise again. Wait until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500. Place 16-inch (or larger) pizza stone on lowest shelf position, for 30 minutes.


Punch down the dough and transfer to a clean surface. Divide the dough in half, and knead each half four or five times into a ball. Place one of the dough balls back in the oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Lightly flour a clean surface, place the dough ball on top, pat into a flattened circle, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes*. Begin to flatten and push the dough evenly out from the center until it measures about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Leave a 1/2 inch border of unflatted dough around the edges of the circle. Lift the dough off the surface, and center it on top of your fists. Rotate and stretch the dough, moving your fists until they are 6 to 8 inches apart and the dough is several inches larger. Then place your fists under the inside of the outer edge, and continue to stretch the dough until it reaches about 12 inches in diameter. The dough will drape down over your forearms. Start over if the dough tears or gets to thin. Do this carefully, preserving the raised edge. Sprinkle cornmeal all over the surface of a pizza peel or parchment paper.

Place the pizza dough into a circle on top of the cornmeal-dusted peel. Distribute pizza sauce on the dough, leaving the 1/2 inch of raised dough bare. Sprinkle with cheese and toppings.

 Slightly tilt the peel (or a parchment paper covered upside down baking sheet), and place the front tip of peel on the back side of the stone. Slide the pizza off the peel (or slide the pizza with the parchment paper off of the baking sheet), centering it on the stone as best you can. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Repeat with remaining dough.

My thoughts:

I made this dough to go with a fennel-red onion-caper-rapini topped pizza I made for dinner the other day. It was so good, I thought I'd share. It had a wonderful savory flavor that made it stand out from other pizza doughs I've made without being overpowering or fishy. It was very elastic and easy to work with as well. My husband liked that it was sturdy and flexible enough to fold a slice in half to eat it. He's from NY where that is apparently very important.

Comfort - {Grilled Pizza}

Earlier this week, I packed a cooler, donned my favorite shades and stepped out of the chilly house and into the sun. I momentarily doubted the box's integrity and its ability to properly protect the goodies I had systematically stashed within, but we braved the heat together; assured that we would arrive safely, on time and without trouble.A, B and I set up in a familiar park near A's house,

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite sized pieces
pizza dough (with or without the garlic/pepper)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
8 oz smoked Gouda, shredded
3 oz mozzarella, shredded


for the barbecue sauce:
1 large shallot
12 ounces tomato paste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground chipotle
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon hickory liquid smoke
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt

Directions:
For the barbecue sauce: Pulse all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and simmer on the lowest setting until heated through. Allow to cool.

For the pizza: Place the chicken in a resealable bag with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. Heat oil in a skillet. Saute the chicken until just cooked through. Mix the two cheeses together in a small bowl. Spread about 1/4 cup of sauce on each pizza. Top with the cheeses then onion and chicken. Follow the pizza directions for baking. Sprinkle with cilantro prior to serving if desired.


Yield: 2 pizzas

My thoughts:

When I was in college I loved this barbecue chicken pita this one locally owned restaurant served. It had a not too sweet sauce, red onions, Gouda and a sprinkle of cilantro in a homemade pita. I must have eaten that at least once a month (and often more) for a year or two. The place also sold a lot unusual pizzas (and oddly, Egyptian food) and had a similar pizza version on the menu but I didn't like it as much as the sandwich. I think their ratios were slightly off. I stopped ordering the sandwich after a there was some staff turnover and it just wasn't as good any more. But I've sort of missed it. I was going to try and recreate the sandwich (but better!) but I thought I'd try to make the pizza instead. That really stuck out as something I thought would be amazing but was kind of sub-par. I knew I could do a better job! I started with homemade barbecue sauce that was slightly thicker than what I might want to use on say, ribs, as both a sauce and marinade for the chicken. I also used smoked Gouda instead of regular for extra depth of flavor. Gouda isn't the meltyest cheese so I mixed with with a bit of mozzarella to ensure maximum pizza coverage. The perfect barbecue chicken pizza.

Black Pepper & Garlic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 oz active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon freshly coarsely ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil

coarse-grain cornmeal for dusting
olive oil for greasing the bowl
mozzarella cheese and/or a combination of mozzarella, asiagio and Parmesan
assorted toppings (pictured: green olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, onions and pepperoni)
pizza sauce

Directions:

Pour warm water into a small bowl. Add sugar, and sprinkle in yeast. Stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved. Let yeast stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. At the same time, soak the garlic in the olive oil. Microwave the oil (with the garlic) for 15 seconds after at least 10 minutes of soaking. Discard the garlic or use it in the sauce.

Place the flour the bowl of a stand mixer. Add salt, olive oil, black pepper and yeast. Using the dough hook and mix until the dough becomes a fairly smooth ball. At this point you can fold the dough onto itself a couple of times if you'd like. Coat the inside of a medium bowl with additional olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl, smooth side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and use your fist to push down on the center of the dough. Fold the dough in half four or five times. Turn dough over, folded-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the warm spot to rise again. Wait until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500. Place 16-inch (or larger) pizza stone on lowest shelf position, for 30 minutes.


Punch down the dough and transfer to a clean surface. Divide the dough in half, and knead each half four or five times into a ball. Place one of the dough balls back in the oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Lightly flour a clean surface, place the dough ball on top, pat into a flattened circle, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes*. Begin to flatten and push the dough evenly out from the center until it measures about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Leave a 1/2 inch border of unflatted dough around the edges of the circle. Lift the dough off the surface, and center it on top of your fists. Rotate and stretch the dough, moving your fists until they are 6 to 8 inches apart and the dough is several inches larger. Then place your fists under the inside of the outer edge, and continue to stretch the dough until it reaches about 12 inches in diameter. The dough will drape down over your forearms. Start over if the dough tears or gets to thin. Do this carefully, preserving the raised edge. Sprinkle cornmeal all over the surface of a pizza peel or parchment paper.

Place the pizza dough into a circle on top of the cornmeal-dusted peel. Distribute pizza sauce on the dough, leaving the 1/2 inch of raised dough bare. Sprinkle with cheese and toppings. Slightly tilt the peel (or a parchment paper covered upside down baking sheet), and place the front tip of peel on the back side of the stone. Slide the pizza off the peel (or slide the pizza with the parchment paper off of the baking sheet), centering it on the stone as best you can. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Repeat with remaining dough.



I like to cool the pizza for a minute on a wire rack before serving. This helps the cheese set up a tiny bit so it doesn't pull off when you slice it. Using a thick sauce helps with that as well.

*Even thought it is tempting, especially if you are hungry, don't skip this step, it really helps the dough maintain elasticity so it doesn't tear when you stretch it.

My thoughts:

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been craving pizza for days! I was tempted to pick up some pies from Baltimore staple Matthew's Pizzeria but thought it might be more fun to make my own. It has been a while since I've made homemade pizza but it was worth the effort. I think that this dough was my most successful so far. In the past we've mixed the ingredients in the food processor then kneaded by hand but this time I decided just to dump all of the ingredients in the Kitchenaid and see what happened. The result: a perfectly elastic and tasty dough in less time with less effort. The garlic infused oil and the black pepper add some flavor the crust without being over powering, it sort of just accents the flavor of the sauce. It really was the best pizza dough I've ever made.

Pesto Pizza with Sundried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients:
Pesto
Pizza dough

8 oz fresh mozzarella, shredded
3 oz sun dried tomatoes, sliced and patted dry if needed
5 oz canned or jarred artichoke hearts, sliced and patted dry

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500. Follow the pizza dough recipe up until the point where the round of dough is on the pizza stone and is awaiting sauce. Spread about a 1/4 cup of the pesto on the dough leaving the 1/2 inch of raised dough bare. Sprinkle with cheese and arrange the artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes on the surface. Bake about 8 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the stone (it helps to have a pizza peel) and serve.

My thoughts:

This was the main course of our 80s night. To me, nothing says '80s cuisine like sun dried tomatoes and "California" pizza. What I forgot was how good these pizzas can be! Normally I am a pizza traditionalist, but the pesto sauce instead of usual tomato-based sauce was an amazing idea. I was worried it might be a little greasy what with the oil in the pesto and the oil packed artichokes and sun dried tomatoes but the pizza was totally grease free and very delicious. I forgot how good homemade pizza tastes and these flavors (while they are very Spago) went together wonderfully. It was a little time consuming (my husband started making the crust 2 hours before we wanted to eat) but there is very little "hands on time" which leaves you free to make the pesto and clean up before it goes in the oven.

Fresh Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse-grain cornmeal, for dusting

mozzarella cheese
assorted toppings (pictured: pepperoni, Italian sausage, spinach and mushrooms)
Pizza Sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500. Place 16-inch (or larger) pizza stone on lowest shelf position, for 30 minutes. Pour warm water into a small bowl. Add sugar, and sprinkle in yeast. Stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved. The water should look tan. Let yeast stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, combine 2 3/4 cups flour and salt, pulse three to four times. Add yeast mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed until dough is smooth and not sticky when squeezed. Transfer to clean surface. Knead four or five turns into a ball. Coat the inside of a medium bowl with olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl, smooth side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot or a cool oven until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and use your fist to push down on the center of the dough. Fold the dough in half four or five times. Turn dough over, folded-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the warm spot/cool oven to rise again. Wait until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Punch down the dough, and transfer to a clean surface. Divide the dough in half, and knead each half four or five turns into a ball. Place one of the dough balls back in the oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Lightly flour a clean surface, place the dough ball on top, pat into a flattened circle, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes. Begin to flatten and push the dough evenly out from the center until it measures about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Leave a 1/2 inch border of unflatted dough around the edges of the circle. Sprinkle cornmeal all over the surface of a pizza peel, and set aside. Lift the dough off the surface, and center it on top of your fists. Rotate and stretch the dough, moving your fists until they are 6 to 8 inches apart and the dough is several inches larger. Then place your fists under the inside of the outer edge, and continue to stretch the dough until it reaches about 12 inches in diameter. The dough will drape down over your forearms. Start over if the dough tears or gets to thin. Do this carefully, preserving the raised edge. Place the pizza dough into a circle on top of the cornmeal-dusted peel. Distribute pizza sauce on the dough, leaving the 1/2 inch of raised dough bare. Sprinkle with cheese and toppings. Slightly tilt the peel, and place the front tip of peel on the back side of the stone. Slide the pizza off the peel, centering it on the stone as best you can. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Repeat with remaining dough.

Spring this recipe!


My thoughts:
One of the best pizzas I've ever had. Crispy crust, yummy sauce, fresh mozzarella and our favorite toppings. I especially liked the mushrooms. We sauted them in a little olive oil before placing them on the pizza. I think that is a little tastier than just plopping raw ones on there. We also grilled some Italian sausage and drained some frozen spinach. Much tastier and much less greasy than delivery pizza. It takes a bit of time and effort but you will be well rewarded.

Another pizza option: pesto pizza with sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts.

I recommend that you use a peel when making the pizza. It is the easiest way to get the pizza on and off the pizza stone. Nothing else works quite as well.