Hey 5 women…
Tracey and I started the somewhat dubious tradition of Pizza on Tuesday nights. It was supposed to be one night a week that neither of us had to cook — a quick dinner on nights when all we wanted to do was enjoy our evening without a bunch of dirty dishes.
But like most things, this tradition took on a life of its own and quickly became much more than the $4.99 Target Frozen Pizza Deal. (Which, by the way, is pretty good. Target’s Archer Farms brand makes a killer goat-cheese and spinach pizza for under $5!)
Eventually I took on the challenge of making home-made pizza dough. I use a recipe from “Booby Flay”, the grill guy. Here’s the recipe I used: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pizza-dough-recipe/index.html … or if you don’t want to link, I’ve posted it below with my comments.
a “Bench Scraper” helps handle the dough.
Making the pizza from scratch is not really that hard. I’ve gotten the dough recipe down to 12 minutes — a nice break in my late afternoon of work. Then when Tracey comes home we dump all the toppings in a fry pan while the oven pre-heats. (She loves pre-cooked toppings like mushrooms and peppers). Get the toppings good and hot so some of the water boils off. Smear the crust with canned pizza sauce (Muir Glen is cheap, delicious, low sugar, and all ORGANIC). Cook the pizza in a really hot oven — 500 if you can.
So now its your turn. Do you have an alternative crust recipe? Tell me your favorite topping combinations! Have you ever used any of the chicken sausage products on a pizza? (We like mango-jalapeno)… get creative! Leave a comment below.
DAVID’s PIZZA CRUST RECIPE (Thanks to Booby Flay).
INGREDIENTS
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (“Better for Bread” flour makes a much crisper crust. “All-purpose flour” makes a chewier crust.)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or more if you like… I do!)
- 1 envelope instant dry yeast (=2.25 teaspoons from the jar if you go that way)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (do not let it touch the yeast directly!)
- 1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F (just go for REALLY hot)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
Directions
Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes
Five Women Cook 