Something Very Like Pizza

[underused]

I've been experimenting with homemade pizza. It's an opportunity to be creative or use up what's in the fridge. Combinations are endless and you can find a million ideas online. The leftovers also make for outstanding snacks.

This weekend we hosted a brunch and made the breakfast pizza above. The crust is brushed with basil/garlic/olive oil, and it's topped with bacon, chopped celery, onions, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. And cheese, of course--parm and mozzarella. I dropped the eggs on in the last ten minutes of baking to ensure they stayed soft. It was a big hit.

The crust (below) is an easy yeast recipe that hasn't failed me yet. It yields enough thin crust to cover two 11" x 15" (28 cm x 38 cm) rectangular baking sheets. Remember, the base of most pizzas is tomato sauce, but you can choose to omit. If you do, my only tip is to brush the crust with a bit of oil and ensure your toppings aren't too dry.

PIZZA DOUGH

4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp dry yeast (or two 1/4 oz packets)
1 1/3 c warm water (about 85 C)
a pinch of sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

Pour yeast into warmed water and add a pinch of sugar. Let it stand 5-10 mins.

Mix flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl, making a "well" in the ingredients. When your yeast is ready, add the olive oil and stir, then pour all the liquid into the well in your flour. Stir with a spoon until it gets too clumpy, then take over kneading with your hands. Once the dough is cohesive and most of the dry ingredients are incorporated, tip it onto a sturdy surface and knead (vigorously) for another 10 minutes.

The key to awesome bread dough is getting it to a place that is smooth and elastic. If you're not sure if it's there, you're not there, so keep kneading.

Once your dough is ready, roll it into a smooth ball and place it in a bowl. You may brush the outside with a bit of olive oil to keep it moist. Then cover your bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour.

A "warm place" usually just means a warm room, or maybe on top of a fridge. One of my bread cookbooks suggest letting the oven warm very slightly (only a few degrees above room temperature) then turn off your oven and place your bowl inside with the door closed. I've tried this and it works beautifully.

After an hour, your dough should be double in size. Cut it in half and roll-and-stretch it to fit your sheets. You don't have to be super-careful with it. If it has weak spots or tears, just pinch it back together. No one will notice. If you don't mind a rustic look, edges don't need to be perfect either. Once the pans are covered, pierce or slit the dough in a few places to ensure it doesn't bubble up. Then brush with oil/coat with sauce and off you go.

Once your toppings are on, bake in a 380-400 F (204 C) oven for 18-20 mins.

Note the short bake time. Meats should be lightly sauteed in advance. If you don't like them slightly crunchy, same goes for vegetables.

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

Pizza is such a fluid culinary category in the U.S.--I don't presume to speak for Canada--that if you call the above recipe pizza, I'll take your word for it; certainly I'd eat the hell out of it.

(Naples is another matter--or at least certain arbiters of Official and Authorized Pizzahood therein: http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/en/chi_siamo)

[underused]

It's true in Canada as well--at this point it's basically anything on a pizza crust. ☺ I'm ok with that--although I do like a really good standard tomato-and-cheese.

A few years ago, we moved out of the city and into a rural area. We went from being spoiled with variety (and delivery) to a selection mostly limited to frozen or some version of Domino's. But the place we used to order from--they were positively inspired. I'm in the process of trying to recreate some of their combos.