| Need some
inspiration for toppings? Try these personal faves ...
1
Margherita:
Fresh mozzarella, thinly-sliced
fresh tomatoes and shredded fresh basil. Simple and delish.
2
The Greek:
Feta, Spinach, Kalamata Olives,
Sun-dried tomatoes
3
Spinach and Shrooms:
Spinach, portabella mushrooms and
gorgonzola
4
Roasted Pepper and Caramelized Onion:
Sweet roasted red peppers and caramelized onions, mozzarella and
basil. This is one of my favorite pizzas to make for a party –
roasted peppers and caramelized onions both seem fancy, but are
actually super-easy to make and can be prepped way ahead of time.
To roast peppers, rub
cleaned peppers in olive oil and pop them on a baking sheet; roast
at 500F for about 20 minutes, turning the peppers halfway through.
The skins will be blistery and blackened; place the peppers in a
covered bowl and let sit. Once they’ve cooled, you can easily
peel and de-seed them.
To caramelize onions: Thinly
slice your onions (make a lot more than you think you need –
they shrink down considerably). Heat a scant amount of olive oil
over medium heat and sauté the onions for 20-30
minutes
or so, stirring no more than once every few minutes, until sticky,
sweet and golden brown. |
Basic
Pizza Recipe
1 portion basic pizza dough,
divided into 3-4 portions
olive oil
course-ground cornmeal
1 portion basic pizza sauce
12 oz. – 1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese,
depending upon how cheesy you like
your pizza
makes
3 10" round pizzas or 4 oval 4"x14" party
pizzas
1
Preheat oven to the highest heat setting, most likely 500F.
2
Shape each slab of dough into the desired pizza shape. You can
either roll it out with a rolling pin, smush it out with your
fingers, or use a combination of techniques.
3
Sprinkle a baking sheet with a handful of cornmeal, and
transfer the rolled-out dough to the sheet.
4
Brush a tiny bit of olive oil over the top of the pizza round,
or drizzle and spread with your fingers. Spoon and spread a
good dollop of sauce over the surface, until just
well-covered. Top with cheese.
5
Bake for 10-12 minutes (for a thin-crust pizza, longer for
thicker crusts) until the crust is golden and the cheese
melty.
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