After all that talk of pizza I began to crave the real, easy-to-make, homemade kind. And yes, it is easy to make! My crust isn't genius, but it's solid and good, with a slightly sweet note from the honey (adapted from the CCA cookbook Breads, originally published in 1985 by Ortho Books, which appears to have been run by the Chevron corporation. Very interesting.). The recipe for the crust takes 15-20 minutes to make, and then 30-40 minutes more to rise. This isn't a 30-minute meal, but again I emphasize its simplicity, and overall deliciousness. Plus, you can have your favorite toppings, and if you happen to find any stray hairs in your pie, you'll know who they belong to. You. I hope.
Easy Pizza
Dough:
2 1/3 cups unbleached flour
1 packet yeast
1 cup warm (not scalding) water
1 tablespoon honey
pinch salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
In a medium bowl, measure two cups flour and make a well in the center. Pour yeast into center, and add about a half cup of the water. Add honey to yeast and stir once. Let stand and watch for yeast to bubble up and form smooth clumps (3-10 minutes). Then add salt and start stirring mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping the side of the bowl. Add olive oil, and continue adding the rest of the flour and water. Start kneading dough with hands (alternately, use bread hook on mixer to make the dough. Hands are fun, though). Keep kneading until dough forms into a cohesive, not too sticky ball. (Add a little more flour if it's too greasy or sticky. Remember, a little stickiness is good.) When you press your fingers into the dough and it starts to spring back, cover with plastic wrap and set in warm area (I like the next-to-stove location) and let rise for 30-45 minutes. When doubled in size, punch down and let rest for another 10 minutes before rolling out and shaping.
Baking the pizza:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If you're like me and don't have an applewood-smoked oven, using a simple baking sheet should work just fine to bake the pizza. Using half the dough, roll out until dough is about 1/6 of an inch thick. You don't want to stretch it so that it breaks, but if you like a thin crust, you have to keep rolling it out. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, pricking crust with a fork if it rises up. Remove from oven. Crust should have begun to harden and turn a light golden color. Toppings are up to you: I like to coat the base with a homemade pizza sauce (tomato paste, herbs, water, garlic simmered on stove for about 20 minutes), and then top with additional ingredients. This pizza was inspired with eggplant, mushrooms, garlic oil, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a tiny bit of pancetta and parmeggiano. Bake in oven for 10-20 minutes, until cheese melts and toppings are cooked.
Remove from baking sheet and let cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing, unless you like to scald your mouth (as I do) and immediately start picking at it to pull off a slice. Patience is a virtue. And I have little.
Of course, enjoy!
Easy Pizza
Dough:
2 1/3 cups unbleached flour
1 packet yeast
1 cup warm (not scalding) water
1 tablespoon honey
pinch salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
In a medium bowl, measure two cups flour and make a well in the center. Pour yeast into center, and add about a half cup of the water. Add honey to yeast and stir once. Let stand and watch for yeast to bubble up and form smooth clumps (3-10 minutes). Then add salt and start stirring mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping the side of the bowl. Add olive oil, and continue adding the rest of the flour and water. Start kneading dough with hands (alternately, use bread hook on mixer to make the dough. Hands are fun, though). Keep kneading until dough forms into a cohesive, not too sticky ball. (Add a little more flour if it's too greasy or sticky. Remember, a little stickiness is good.) When you press your fingers into the dough and it starts to spring back, cover with plastic wrap and set in warm area (I like the next-to-stove location) and let rise for 30-45 minutes. When doubled in size, punch down and let rest for another 10 minutes before rolling out and shaping.
Baking the pizza:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If you're like me and don't have an applewood-smoked oven, using a simple baking sheet should work just fine to bake the pizza. Using half the dough, roll out until dough is about 1/6 of an inch thick. You don't want to stretch it so that it breaks, but if you like a thin crust, you have to keep rolling it out. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, pricking crust with a fork if it rises up. Remove from oven. Crust should have begun to harden and turn a light golden color. Toppings are up to you: I like to coat the base with a homemade pizza sauce (tomato paste, herbs, water, garlic simmered on stove for about 20 minutes), and then top with additional ingredients. This pizza was inspired with eggplant, mushrooms, garlic oil, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a tiny bit of pancetta and parmeggiano. Bake in oven for 10-20 minutes, until cheese melts and toppings are cooked.
Remove from baking sheet and let cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing, unless you like to scald your mouth (as I do) and immediately start picking at it to pull off a slice. Patience is a virtue. And I have little.
Of course, enjoy!
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