pizza.....

We take pizza pretty seriously around the Gray household. Anyone that is hanging around the kitchen when pizza building time comes along is invited to become involved. The recipes here were gleaned from American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza by Peter Reinhart. Enjoy!

The Dough
5 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 tsp. of active dry yeast or 1 tsp. of instant yeast
2 tbs. olive oil
1 3/4 cups water (room temperature)
1 tbs. honey
2 tsp. salt
Makes 4 - 10 oz. balls

This dough recipe makes a thin, crispy crust with small air pockets. First dissolve the yeast with a little of the room temperature water, then add all the other ingredients, mixing them well for about 4-5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then come back and mix for 3-4 more minutes. If it's too sticky, add more flour, too dry, add more water. The "wetter" the mix, the crispier the crust. Divide the dough into 4 separate pieces, shape them into balls, rub with olive oil, and place them in individual ziplock bags. After letting them "rest" for 15 minutes inside the bags, refrigerate until the next day, or place any balls you do not plan on using immediately into the freezer. If you're going to use them the same day, turn that 15 minutes rest into one hour, then take them out of the bag, punch it down, reshape into a ball, put it back in the bag, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Take whatever you intend to use out of the fridge 2 hours before use, and allow to reach room temperature. Shape and stretch into roughly a thin 9"-10" circle, or whatever shape you can manage. This dough is somewhat elastic, and has the tendency to spring back into a smaller shape. It is finicky to work with, and I work it on a countertop with a thin sheen of olive oil; olive oil being very good for you, and assists the crust in browning. Some folks use water on the counter, or a light dusting of bread flour. I allow it to rest after the initial shaping and stretching, then come back and do it again. I have found it easier to build the pizza on top of a 12" x 12" piece of parchment paper, on top of a pizza peel, once the dough has been shaped and stretched. I keep an old 1" thick kiln shelf in my oven, on the middle shelf, and preheat the oven at it's highest heat setting for about an hour before sliding the pizza (on the paper) directly on top of it. Baking time in our oven is approximately 7-8 minutes. When the cheese is bubbly, and the bottom of the crust has browned somewhat, it's done!

The sauce
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder or 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
About 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice, or a combination, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Makes 4 cups

Mix together all the ingredients and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking is necessary. I sometimes measure out the (dried) herbs and grind them all together in a mortar and pestle prior to adding them to the sauce. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for several months.

The Toppings
Here is where you can get creative! Just remember that sometimes simpler is better, and just because you have a dump truck load of toppings on your pizza doesn't mean it will be delicious. Instead of gastronomic overload, think balance - a balance between the crust, sauce, and toppings, all 3 receiving equal attention. With this in mind, I try to hold it down to no more than 3 toppings as the crust above is not intended for deep dish, heavily overloaded pizzas. The following items provide plenty of variety - precooked hamburger, bacon, sausage, ground venison, ground pork, grilled and shredded chicken, thinly sliced ham, summer sausage, bratwurst, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, salami, pepperoni, Mozzarella, Provolone, Cheddar, Gouda, and Feta cheeses, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green or ripe olives, basil leaves, onions (raw, grilled, marinated or sauteéd), asparagus, zucchini, squash, spinach leaves, thinly sliced bell peppers, banana peppers, hot peppers, and garlic slivers.

Comments

[Loren]

What no eggplants? I am thinking of making your pizza with thinly sliced eggplant. Have you tried this?
Thanks for the recipe!

[T. Gray]

Loren, good point! I grew eggplants last year, but not this year. Maybe next summer.....