PIZZA

In honor of game day I decided to make everyone's favorite...PIZZA!! Also grilled out and made BBQ chicken..that recipe will come another day! : )  So for today it's all about the PIZZA. What I love so much about making this at home is that it is fresh from the oven and you choose what you like best to top it and the cost is soooo much less than take out. So it's a great bargin and taste amazing.

Ingredients:

4 cups bread flour, I recommend Italian Tipo "00" flour
1 packet active yeast, approx. 2 ¼ teaspoons
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp garlic powder
1 ¾ cups of lukewarm water
4 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Add the yeast to the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer, and then add the water, 2 tbsp of olive oil and sugar, stir lightly to completely dissolve. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to bloom (little bubbles will form). Add the flour, salt, dried basil and garlic powder and begin mixing the ingredients with a paddle on low speed. Once the dough has formed into a ball, switch to the dough hook and continue to mix for about 5 minutes until elastic. “If the dough is too dry, add a little extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time”.

Grease a large bowl with the other 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the kneaded dough in the bowl and roll it around so that the entire ball is coated with a little olive oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow it to double in size about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Using a fist, deflate the dough in the center and separate the ball into 2 pieces. Take half of the dough, and begin stretching out the dough with your fingers being careful not to poke holes completely through the dough. Use a drizzle of olive oil to completely coat the top of the dough. This will also help the dough stretch out. If you find that the dough is pulling back and does not stay stretched out, cover with a piece of plastic and allow it to rest for a few minutes. The dough should stretch out to between 14-16 inches. Once you have formed your dough, cover it and allow it to rest for another 30 minutes.

Pour ½ cup of pizza sauce (Recipe for sauce below) in the center of the dough and using a ladle spoon start spreading the sauce in a circular motion until it reaches the edges….Leave a little uncovered for the crust. Then add your favorite toppings, I prefer dollops of fresh ricotta cheese, a blend of Italian cheeses shredded, fresh baby spinach, genoa salami and roasted red peppers. Repeat with the second dough.

Pizza Sauce

1 small can of tomato paste
2 1/2 cups of water
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
3 tablespoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese


Add all of the above ingredients except the parmesan cheese to a medium sized pot and cook on low heat for about 10-15 minutes. If you would like to make this a zesty sauce, add your choice of dried peppers. Right before it has finished cooking, add the grated parmesan cheese and pour into another bowl and set aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 500°F and bake until golden brown, approximately 8-10 minutes.