Pizza night . . . It's quick, it's easy, everyone likes it and the topping possibilities are endless. Tonight I made a standard cheese pizza for the kids and a salami, mushroom and red onion for the kids at heart.
 |
| Pizza ~ Start to finish |
I start with a 16 ounce ball of fresh dough. Most major grocery stores, in these parts, stock it now. My favorite dough is from Trader Joe's, with Fresh and Easy coming in a close second. I use both the standard white and the whole wheat with great results. Plus, if I find it on sale, I stock up and toss it in the freezer, just takes a day in the fridge to thaw. After proofing (letting it rest at room temperature for about an hour), I stretch it out, on parchment paper, to roughly the size of my cutting board . . . so I can cut it later without it hanging over the edges. For me, it's about a medium-thin crust. Then lightly rub about a tablespoon of olive oil onto the crust - making sure to get the edges and pierce the main crust area with a fork a bunch of times. Toss into a 425 degree oven for 3 minutes. After the crust is par-baked, I add jarred (insert gasp here) pizza sauce. I know, I know...I've tried making one myself, but my heart's just not in it, and I like the jarred one. I add a minced clove (or three) of garlic, and top with a somewhat generous handful of freshly grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, a sprinkling of Parmesan Romano cheese mix, a couple shakes of Italian herb mix and a light drizzle of garlic infused olive oil. Then, back in the 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, until wonderfully golden brown and bubbly. For the pizza's with toppings, I add the toppings after the cheese, but before the herbs and olive oil.
Enjoy!
Pin It
