Everyone is eating at the same time tonight so of course I am making something that requires three different preparations!! Andrew and I like Pesto Tuna and Tomato on thin crust, Lauren likes Tomato sauce, turkey sausage and vegetables on thin crust and Naomi likes Tomato sauce and pesto with olives and artichoke hearts on thick crust. Everyone gets cheese.
Pizza does require prep time. Because I have a convection oven and even with baking them in a pan with wholes at 450 I wasn't getting a crisp crust.
Now I bake the the crusts until they are lightly browned done before adding the toppings. I find this method gives me the crisp crust I want without having to over bake the toppings.
I can do this at any convenient time in my day or the day before. The toppings can be prepared ahead as well.
Pizza crust only rises once so you need an hour to let it rise. Alternatively you can make the dough in the morning, stick it in the fridge and it will be ready to use for dinner that evening.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients
1 tablespoon quick rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup hot water (from your tap)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
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| Foamy yeast |
1 tablespoon olive oil (for the bowl)
Instructions
In a measuring cup add 1/4 cup hot tap water, add yeast and sugar and leave to until it is foamy.
In food processor with metal blade, add flour, salt and olive oil.
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| dough forming ball around the blade |
Place 1 tablespoon oil in large bowl. Put dough on top and mix it around until the dough ball is covered. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
When dough has doubled divide into two balls then divide one of the balls in half (that is because I am making three pizzas. If you are making two X large pizzas then divide dough in two. If you like a thick crust then you can use it all to make one pizza.
Preheat oven to 450. If you have a convection oven position 3 racks evenly. If you don't have a convection oven you can only bake one crust at a time on the lower rack (they don't take long)
You can top Pizza with anything. I have many different ones. These are what we are having tonight
Lauren's Pizza
Ingredients
1 Hot Italian Turkey sausage sliced
1 zucchini sliced thin
12 mushrooms thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper diced
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste - we like it spicy)
1/2 cup Passata (Italian tomato puree)
I tablespoon oregano
1 1/2 cups grated cheese - any combination of: Pizza Cheese (Mozzerlissima) and Provolone
Instructions
In frying pan, on high heat add olive oil add sausage and brown. Reduce heat to medium and add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the vegetables are softened. Turn off heat and set pan aside until ready to top pizza.
Pesto, Tuna and Tomato Pizza
Ingredients
1/2 cup basil pesto (In the summer when I have basil in the garden I make it, in the winter I buy it ready made)
4 medium tomatoes thinly sliced
1 large or 3 small cans of Italian Tuna in Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups Mozzerelissima (Pizza Cheese)
1/2 cup Provolone Cheese
Naomi's Pizza
1/2 cup Mozzerleissima
1/2 cup green sliced Pizza Olives
1/2 cup sliced black Olives
1/2 cup sliced marinated Artichoke Hearts
1 tablespoon cup Pesto
2 tablespoons Passata
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
Preheat oven to 450
Instructions
My big pizza pan is 18" in diameter and I have two smaller 16" pans. The two smaller pizzas I am making will not fill the 16" pans especially Naomi's as she likes a thick crust. As long as you make it round it doesn't matter if the pizza is smaller than the pan. Having wholes on the bottom of the pan is important to insure a crisp crust.
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| Pizza Pan |
Spray pans with non stick spray
Roll 1/2 of the dough on lightly floured board roll into a 16" round. (I use flexible plastic cutting boards from the dollar store) (you can use some corn meal if you like). Transfer dough to pizza pan (put a little flour on top and roll it around the rolling pin to transfer). The edges should be a little thicker.
Repeat with remaining balls rolling them out round to the desired thickness.
Prick crust with a fork
Bake the Pizza crusts until they are lightly browned - about 10 minutes (Watch carefully)
Push down any bubbles in the crust before topping
Spread sauce(s) evenly on center of the Pizza leaving a 1/4 inch edge. Sprinkle Oregano on Passata (tomato sauce)
Sprinkle 2/3 of the cheese on the sauce
Place 2/3 of toppings on cheese (arranging evenly)
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and add remaining toppings (the cheese makes them stick)
Place Pizza back in the oven and cook until cheese is melted and crust is nicely browned (about 10 minutes)
Cut with Pizza cutter and enjoy
Double Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Oatmeal Cookies
Jazzed up soft chewy oatmeal cookies. I added what I had alternatively you can add, chopped pecans and or raisins (which I hate) and or craisins or dried cherries or chopped or slivered almonds...
I like this recipe because oatmeal is the main ingredient.
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar - packed (if you are not adding chocolate chips increase this to 1 1/4 cup)
1 cup butter cubed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper
In food processor with metal blade process butter and sugar until well blended, add eggs and vanilla and process until blended
Add oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Pulse until just barely blended.
Add hazelnuts and chocolate chips and pulse a couple of times to incorporate.
Drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheet leaving 1/2 inch between each cookie
Bake for 7 - 10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool on before transferring from cookie sheet.
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