Tips for pizza

A pizza made at home should be better than a commercial pizza. You get it fresh from the oven made with fresh ingredients and the combination of ingredients that you want, on a homemade crust, and with the care that is not possible commercially.

But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.

• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it first. Usually about eight minutes will do. Then pull it out of the oven, put the toppings on, and finish baking.

• Don’t under bake the crust. The crust is done when the bottom is partially browned. Use a spatula or tongs to lift one edge and peek at the crust.

• Never use a light-colored pan for baking a pizza. It will reflect the heat and you will have a hard time baking the crust thoroughly.

• A baking stone will help bake the crust. Put the baking stone in the oven at least fifteen minutes ahead of the pizza. We like to bake our pizzas on a dark baking pan placed on top of the hot stone.

• Place the pizza low in the oven where radiant heat from the heating elements will help bake the crust.

• If you have trouble forming the pizza crust, the gluten may be the problem. Gluten gives the dough elasticity and a tight dough wants to spring back into shape. Partially shape the crust and then walk away for five to ten minutes. When you get back, the dough will have relaxed and you can finish the crust.

• A pizza crust of uniform thickness is a better crust. If you are not adept at spinning the crust, roll it to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin. You can do that on a peel dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour so that the crust will slip off easily onto the stone or pan. If you don’t have a peel, a sheet of heavy cardboard or even a wooden cutting board will do. You can also form the crust in your pan. The lips on the pan will preclude a rolling pin, but you can purchase a little rolling pin meant for the task (and for rolling pasta) that will work within the rims. If all else fails, grab a small jar and use it as a rolling pin.

• If you don’t have time to make or buy your favorite sauce, a jar of spaghetti sauce will do. Homemade is better but a good commercial sauce is okay.

• Some people prefer tender crusts; we prefer chewy. For a tender crust, use all-purpose flour. Our favorite crusts are made with bread flour tempered just a bit with whole wheat, rye, or all-purpose flours.

• For a really great pizza crust, once the dough is kneaded, cover it and place it in the refrigerator over night. The next day, remove the dough and let it rise on the counter. Allow plenty of time for the dough to come to room temperature and rise. At lower temperatures, the yeast produces a complex yeasty flavor that is very good.

• Pizza dough that is just a bit on the wet side is easier to work with and makes a nicer crust.

• Toppings can be anything you want them to be. Measurements don’t count though less is usually better. Experiment with some of your favorite foods.

• Olive oil makes a much nicer pizza crust than vegetable oil.

• If you are having trouble cutting your pizza with a knife or pizza wheel, grab the kitchen shears.

Making Pepperoni Pizza

Pizza-meaning
Pizza is one of the most famous and widely used dishes in all the parts of world. Pizza is considered a very famous dish through out the world. In United States of America the pizzas are popularly known as "pizza pie". Pizzas are available in various shapes and sizes and in a variety.

Ingredients used in the pizza
Some of the commonly used ingredients used in pizza are as follows:-
Yeast, the yeast is used in the pizza for the preparation of the dough.
Salt and sugar is for the preparation of the dough.
Pepper, basil, herbs are used for toppings.
Various types of vegetables are also used as toppings of the pizza.
Sauce of tomato or garlic paste is also used as toppings in most of the pizzas prepared.
Cheese, which adds taste is oftenly used as a topping in the pizzas.

Some of the types of pizzas are listed below
It is very tedious to list the types of pizzas as the list will run several pages due to the large variety of pizzas available. Sausage pizza, New York-style pizza, Chicago-style pizza/Chicago-style deep dish pizza, pepperoni pizza are some of the famous types of pizzas.

Pepperoni pizza
Pepperoni is an Italian-American made up of various types of dry salami which is generally prepared with the help of pork, goat, turkey, beef and also fish. Pepperoni is generally spicy by nature. From southern Italy it is a decedent of the spicy type of salamis. Pepperoni is generally used in the pizza as a topping. Hence the pizza is given the name as the pepperoni pizza. Pepperoni is frequently to serve as a topping for the American-style pizzerias and it may also be used for preparing sandwiches.

Pepperoni pizza is one of the most popular types of pizza in America. The consumption of the pepperoni pizza is quite high as compared with the other types of pizzas.

Peperoni has its corruption as Pepperoni. Peperone is the Italia plural. Is refers to bell pepper in the Italian language. In order to indicate a kind of spicy sausage pepperoni was evolved in Italian-American cuisine.

Ingredients used for making the pepperoni pizza:
It is very difficult to give a exact list of the ingredients used for the preparation of the pepperoni pizzas as the ingredients used of preparing differ from person to person. However the commonly used ingredients are listed below:
Pepperoni, generally spicy is preferred.
Pizza sauce or the spaghetti sauce is also used to make the pizza more delicious. The crust of the pizza is generally spread with the sauce layer.
Mozzarella Cheese which is generally KRAFT Shredded is used very oftenly. A layer of cheese is generally spread.
Olive may also be added on the surface of the pizza.
Frequently tomato sauce or gravy is used in order to make the pizza tastier.
Mince garlic may also be used to spread on the top of the crust.
Salt, pepper, oregano may be also be added for adding the taste to the pizza

How To Make A Home Style Egg, Spinach And Cheese Pizza

f you want an easy snack and can’t be bothered cooking something difficult, why not try this Home Style Egg, Spinach and Cheese Pizza.

It’s easy to make and healthy at the same time. I made this pizza the other day and absolutely love it.

Before we get started, you need to get a hold of Pita bread. You can purchase it from any Middle Eastern grocery store. Just ask for it…

Ingredients

•1 Pita bread
•1 Egg
•Handful Shredded cheese
•Pinch Salt and pepper
•Handful Spinach

Crack an egg and spread evenly over pita bread.

Spread cheese evenly over the egg.

Dice spinach..

Place under grill or pizza oven until fluffy.

Easy wasn’t it!

* Lebanese people mainly eat this for breakfast. You can make this at anytime of the day, as it’s easy to make without the fuss and fanfare.

The Pizza Toppings Belong

The invention also contemplates multi layer pizza dough containing pizza articles.
In the pizza industry, there has been many a conflict over how to make the best and most perfect pizza. Debates over the subject include what type of crust to use, the type of pizza sauce, type of toppings and even the type of cheese that makes the best pizza pie. From New York Style to Chicago Style to California Style, differences in technique are what make the Pizza World go around. Another one of those pizza arguments is where on the pizza the toppings should go. It is debatable that toppings under the sauce look better or worse than toppings above the sauce and cheese. There is even an issue over which one tastes better.

Chicago Style pizza is a recipe steeped in tradition. This deep-dish style pizza goes against the traditional grain of most of the other pizza recipes in the U.S. Instead of placing the toppings you choose on the top of the pizza sauce and cheeses, the sliced mozzarella cheese is placed in a layer on the crust, which is placed in the bottom of a deep-dish pizza pan. On top of the mozzarella cheese is placed the toppings of choice, such as Italian sausage, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. The next layer is the sauce, which is the top layer. To many people who are not from Chicago or familiar with this style of pizza, this is something that is brand new. It may even seem backward to those who live elsewhere in the country and are used to another style of pizza. Many people say that Chicago Style is the best because it helps to keep the crust crispy because the sauce is on top, and not directly on the crust, making it soggy.

This other type of pizza places the sauce on the crust, shredded cheese layered above the sauce, and the toppings scattered above the cheese. This is what most people in the United States think of when they think of pizza. Many people don’t even know of a different way of making pizza. Some say Americans love the tradition of sauce directly on the crust.

While the theory of the ""best"" pizza is definitely up to the individual and personal preference, arguments over whose style is the ""best"" is an ongoing battle in the pizza universe. The argument will never be settled between the die-hards from their respective regions. But, the good news is, that the United States has become more and more open-minded when it comes to food. The real winners in this debate are the ones who eat a little bit of both types of pizza. The real winners realize that there is no best, only different. Every once in a while, treat your senses to something out of the ordinary. If you are used to Chicago Style and the toppings beneath the sauce, check out a new thing and have some New York Style or California Style pizza. The same goes for you New Yorkers and others. If you are always having the same old toppings-on-the-top pizza, go crazy and try some Chicago Style pizza. Open your palate up to the unique taste of something extraordinary.

Fruite Pizza recipe

This recipe is a slight alteration of the pampered chef fruit pizza recipe. I added a couple things that I think make it better and I hope you enjoy it! If you enjoy it, please share with a friend!

Here are the Ingredients you will need:

1 refrigerated raw sugar cookie dough tube
3 Tablespoons of cinnamon
2 tablespoons orange liqueur or juice
1 (12 ounce) container soft cream cheese
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large can crushed pineapple
2 small cans mandarin oranges
4 medium bananas, sliced
Strawberries
Nuts

To make the glaze for your fruit pizza you will need:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp corn syrup
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp strawberry gelatin

Here are the instructions for preparation:

First you need to turn on and Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Always make sure there is nothing in the stove that could catch on fire.

Use caution when placing your pizza into the oven so as not to burn yourself.

Coat 12-inch pizza or springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press cookie dough evenly into bottom of pan and bake 15-20 minutes. Cool Completely.

In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese with sugar, liqueur or juice and vanilla.

Spread over crust to 1-inch from edge.

Arrange fruit and nuts on top. I think making the nuts and fruits as diced and sliced as possible make it a better consistency. (I'm like that with sausage on my pizza too)

Glaze: Cook water, sugar, corn syrup, and cornstarch together until thick and clear. Stir in gelatin. Cool before putting on fruit. Once you have your fruit on top, sprinkle your cinnamon over the fruits and you are finished! Refrigerate before serving to your guests.

Pizza recipes

Pizza recipes
There are different types of pizzas available in the world today. It's almost impossible to list all the kind of recipe. The recipe for the commonly prepared is listed below:-

In the mixture of the warm water the yeast should be dissolved. Salt, sugar, flour should be added in the bowl. The yeast solution along with the olive oil should be added with it. With the help of the fork blend it. When the stiffness of the dough increases the remaining flour should be added to it with the help of the hand. Gather the mixture when it until it takes the shape of the ball. Let it rise in a draft free place until it is doubles.

After the dough is competing with the help of the blender of the food processor the pesto sauce must be prepared. Except the cheese all the ingredients must be combined. It should be processed properly and care should be taken that it does not create a puree. Set the side and stir in cheese. Sauté the onions and peppers in a olive oil which should be one table spoon and over a medium heat water in a large skillet. Unless the peppers are soft stir the mixture. Set it aside after draining it. Break the brown sausage as it cooks. The excess and the unwanted fat should be drained off. Before setting aside chop coarsely.

Upto 400 degree pre heat it. Over a 12-inch pizza pan spread the remaining olive oil. With the corn meal it should be sprinkled after adding the olive oil. After that the pizza should be punched down and then flattened lightly with the help of the rolling pin. After that turn the turn it and make it flattened with the help of the fingers. After that it should be placed in the pan and with the help of the finger tips it should be spread on to the edges. It should be baked properly care must be taken that it is not over baked or under baked. Generally it should be baked for 5 minutes.

After baking it, it should over the dough pesto sauce should be spread. Over the pesto goat cheese should crumbed evenly. After peppers, cheeses and sausages should be added. Until the crust id slightly browned and the cheese becomes bubbly bake it for around 10 minutes.

Pizza Equipment

Pizza Equipment

You can cook your pizza using a pizza pan or bake it directly on a pizza stone. If you are going to use a standard oven without a pizza stone, then stretch your pizza dough into the desired thickness on your pan, add your toppings and pizza sauce, preheat your oven and bake according to your pizza recipe. If you are using a pizza stone, cut your pizza dough, use one of the portions and stretch it into a pizza round of your desired thickness. Add your desired toppings and your homemade pizza sauce, load the pizza on your wooden peel (pizza paddle) then place said pizza round on top of the pizza stone. The pizza stone, at this point, should have been kept hot in the oven for at least an hour.

It is best to use a pizza stone for baking pizza. This leads to a crispier pizza crust for two reasons. First, it absorbs run-off and excess moisture. Second, it distributes heat from the oven evenly; thus, the pizza crust is uniformly cooked all over.

Naturally, if you want to make deep dish pizza, you have to use a pizza pan. On the other hand, you can pre-bake your deep dish pizza crust, add toppings and sauce then finish baking your pizza on a pizza stone.

A good oven with a timing device and a temperature monitor is also necessary for precise pizza baking. A wooden spoon, on the other hand, should be used for mixing the pizza dough to prevent sticking. Use a marble countertop when kneading dough for the same purpose.

Pizza sauce: usual ingredients and tips

"Pizza sauce: usual ingredients and tips

The usual pizza sauce recipes have tomato sauce. Flavor is enhanced by adding garlic and onions (whether powder or saut?ed) then ground meat, salt, pepper and other usual pizza spices such as basil and oregano. Typically, tomato-based sauces are thick. On the other hand, you can make a thin pizza sauce by mixing oregano and basil with olive oil. The fastest way of making pizza sauce is by using canned pizza sauce.

You must remember to apply pizza sauce with a light hand. Thick sauce must be carefully added on top of the pizza toppings. Thin sauce must be gently rubbed over the pizza. Excessive use of pizza sauce can lead to excess moisture and thus a limp pizza.

Pizza sauce: usual ingredients and tips

"Pizza sauce: usual ingredients and tips

The usual pizza sauce recipes have tomato sauce. Flavor is enhanced by adding garlic and onions (whether powder or saut?ed) then ground meat, salt, pepper and other usual pizza spices such as basil and oregano. Typically, tomato-based sauces are thick. On the other hand, you can make a thin pizza sauce by mixing oregano and basil with olive oil. The fastest way of making pizza sauce is by using canned pizza sauce.

You must remember to apply pizza sauce with a light hand. Thick sauce must be carefully added on top of the pizza toppings. Thin sauce must be gently rubbed over the pizza. Excessive use of pizza sauce can lead to excess moisture and thus a limp pizza.

Pizza making tips and tricks

A lot of factors influence will influence the results of your pizza making efforts. Primary among these factors are the pizza ingredients and pizza equipment used. The following are some pizza making tips and tricks that you can apply for the best homemade pizza.

Pizza Ingredients

The pizza ingredients that you use depend on the type of pizza that you wish to make. Moreover, you usually have to prepare three sets of ingredients: one for your pizza crust, another for your pizza toppings and another set for your pizza sauce,

"Pizza crust recipes: usual ingredients and tips

Flour is a definite necessity when making pizza crust. The usual ingredient in making the basic pizza dough is wheat flour, although whole wheat flour is also used by some. For a firm, elastic pizza dough, you'll want to use flour with moderately high gluten content (this is also known as hard flour).

The gluten is formed when water is added to the flour and it is a crucial part of the pizza's structure. Thus, when you make pizza crust, it is best to use bread flour or flour with especially high gluten content (check the label) which has enough gluten content for pizza making purposes. However, people who have celiac disease or those who prefer a low carb pizza crust usually opt for flour with low gluten content. Some even make gluten-free pizza in the belief that it is healthier. In any case, it is advisable to use premium-grade flour milled from first-grade wheat; the flour, moreover, should have quality protein (the flour and water mixture should be very easy to handle) and should be able to absorb a lot of water without becoming soggy and limp.

Yeast is another requirement in making the pizza base. The yeast is the leavening agent and it helps the pizza dough rise as well as helps the dough achieve elasticity (so you can stretch it into pizza rounds without breaking). Yeast and its fermentation, furthermore, give the pizza crust its distinct flavor. Unless you are using the instant dry yeast variety, you should mix yeast with warm water then let the mixture stand for around ten minutes before you use it in your pizza dough mixture. Furthermore, the best, yeasty flavor is achieved by leaving the pizza dough to rise for several hours after kneading.

The other dry ingredients that basic pizza dough has are salt, sugar, baking powder (if you need more leavening than what the yeast can provide), and dry milk. The salt is necessary to create the slightly salty taste of pizza crust which provides a great contrast to the pizza sauce flavor. Sugar, on the other hand, is added to add a slightly sweet taste to the crust as well as to facilitate yeast activity and to yield a browner pizza crust. Do not add a lot of sugar. Powdered milk or milk solids, on the other hand, adds to the dough's bulk, adds flavor and nutrients to the pizza dough as well as gives strength to the pizza dough's structure even if such is over-fermented. Use the non-fat variety especially if you are making low fat pizza.

The liquid ingredients include water and oil. Water is necessary for gluten generation and for activating yeast. Use slightly acidic as well as slightly hard water for best results. To ensure standard water pH, you can use distilled water (which has neutral pH) or tap water (which is usually slightly acidic, especially in cities). Oil, on the other hand, serves well to lubricate the dough for easier handling. Use extra virgin olive oil if you want it to serve more than just lubricating purposes; extra virgin olive oil also has a distinctive flavor. Olive oil, moreover, is healthy for it has lower saturation than other types of oil.

If you prefer, you can use egg white or egg yolk in your pizza dough. The egg white helps strengthen pizza dough whereas egg yolk helps soften dough. As such, you can use either depending on the type of crust you want to make. Add egg yolk, for instance, if you need to make your pizza dough softer. If you will use eggs, don't forget to reduce the amount of water in your pizza crust recipe.

You can also add flavorings like garlic powder to your pizza dough. You can even use herbs on your dough to give it a distinct flavor. Use sourdough starter, on the other hand, if you want to make sourdough pizza.

"Pizza toppings: usual ingredients and tips

There's not much you should know about pizza toppings. The ingredients are pretty much up to you and should depend on the type of pizza you are making. However, there are certain techniques to preparing your pizza toppings. For one, you should use fresh Mozzarella cheese when making your pizza. Moreover, you should not put the cheese on top if you need to bake the pizza for a long time; you'll end up with burnt cheese this way.

The usual pizza toppings include pepperoni, sausages, ground beef, ham, canned tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, bacon, ham, various types of cheese, and olive oil. Other toppings include shrimp, salmon, chicken meat, anchovies, fruits, artichokes, etc.

Preparation:

Preparation:

Dice leftover barbecued chicken or chicken from the grocery store. If you do not have leftover chicken, cook a couple boneless pieces of chicken and season to taste. Dice after cooking.

Dust your work surface with flour or cornmeal and roll out your pizza crusts.

Prepare your grill so that one side is hot and the other side is medium hot. Soak a pan of mesquite chips and apply them to the grill before you add your pizza. Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil.

Slide the pizza crust onto the grill rack over the hot coals and shut the lid for 2 minutes. Remove the dough, placing the crust grilled side up on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Repeat with the second crust.

Brush the crusts with olive oil and some tomato sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and provolone over the crusts. Top each pizza with the chicken and pepper strips. Sprinkle each with the Asiago cheese.

Slide one pizza back onto the grill on the medium hot side. Close the grill cover and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Check the crust so it does not brown too fast. Lower the heat if needed by moving coals to the hot side or reducing the thermostat. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Remove the pizza from the grill and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Repeat the last step with the second pizza.

(Makes 2 (12 inch) pizzas)

Ingredients -

Ingredients -

2 pizza crusts
Cornmeal and flour for dusting
Vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
½ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ pound provolone cheese, shredded
4 cups mesquite smoked chicken, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and cut in strips
1 small green bell pepper, cored and cut in strips
1 cup Asiago cheese, shredded

Mesquite Smoked Chicken and Peppers Pizza

Doesn't a barbecue chicken pizza sound good? You can have one tonight with this deliciously simple recipe. You can use leftover chicken or cook some up from scratch to put on the pizza. Let it grill for a few minutes on the barbecue and dinner is ready. Feel free to substitute ingredients if you wish. Tomatoes, herbs and other tasty ingredients work well on the grill.

The cheese combination on this pizza is really good. Let your barbecue pizza cook until the cheese is all melted and bubbly so the flavors combine perfectly. Provolone, mozzarella, and Asiago cheeses are made for each other. Watch the crust though... it will tell you if the grill is too hot by browning too quickly. You can cool down your grill by turning down the burner on a gas grill or by moving coals away from the food on a charcoal grill. After a few tries, you will become an expert at grilling pizza. Do not worry if the crust gets a little too done the first couple of tries. It is still delicious.

Serve your barbecue chicken pizza with a fresh green salad for a full meal. Leftovers can be quickly reheated in the oven to maintain a crisp crust and eaten for lunch or a snack. If pizza is a favorite meal at your house, everyone will soon discover the fun of making your own pizzas on the grill. You cannot get this flavor from any pizza restaurant. The grill gives the entire pizza a delicious smoky flavor that cannot be beat.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound chicken tenders
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
Flour, for dusting
1 package (13.8-ounce size) pizza dough
3/4 cup shredded Gouda
1 cup shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders and saute until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice chicken to yield a little over 1 cup.

In a small bowl, toss chicken with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out dough and place on a greased sheet pan. Shape to fill the sheet pan, about a 15 by 10-inch rectangle. Spread remaining barbecue sauce evenly over pizza dough. Sprinkle Gouda, mozzarella, Parmesan, onions, and chicken over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and cut into pieces.

Artichoke Chicken Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry -- thawed
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts -- cubed
1 medium onion -- halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans diced tomatoes -- well drained
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts -- drained and coarsely chopped
1 can sliced ripe olives -- drained
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 15-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Transfer to an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. baking pan. Prick pastry thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 400 for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute chicken and onion in oil until chicken juices run clear. Stir in the tomatoes, artichokes, olives and oregano. Remove from the heat.

Spread Alfredo sauce over crust. With a slotted spoon, spoon chicken mixture over sauce; sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Artichoke Chicken Pizza serves/makes 6

Apple Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound store-bought pizza dough
1/4 cup apple jelly, melted
4 medium-sized apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to form a rectangle. Place it on a 10" x 15" rimmed baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. With your fingertips, gently spread the dough to cover the pan, pressing it up the edges to form a rim. If the dough is too sticky, lightly dust it and your hands with flour.

Spread the melted apple jelly evenly over the dough, then arrange the apple slices in a single layer.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the apples. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack. Slice and serve warm or allow to cool before serving.

NOTE: For a sweeter touch, top with a glaze made of 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Whisk until smooth then drizzle over the pizza while still warm.

Homemade Pizza

Homemade Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Pizza Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Cornmeal (to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)

• Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Feta cheese
• Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
• Italian sausage, cooked ahead
• Chopped fresh basil
• Pesto
• Pepperoni, thinly sliced
• Onions, thinly sliced
• Sliced ham

Special equipment needed

• A pizza stone, highly recommended if you want your pizza dough to be crusty
• A pizza peel or a flat baking sheet
• A pizza wheel for cutting the pizza, not required, but easier to deal with than a knife

Method

Making the Pizza Dough

1 In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid), add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.

2 Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand. If the dough seems a little too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.

3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or several hours longer, a longer rise will improve the flavor). If you don't have a warm spot in the house you can heat the oven to 150 degrees, and then turn off the oven. Let the oven cool till it is just a little warm, then place the bowl of dough in this warmed oven to rise.

At this point, if you want to make ahead, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Preparing the Pizzas

1 Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

2 Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.

3 Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way. About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza. One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza.

4 Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.

5 Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes.

Repeat with the second ball of dough.

6 Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.

7 Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.

8 Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.

pizza toppings

To list all toppings for pizza is impossible as the list is only restricted to the restrictions imposed by your imagination. Even popular pizza toppings are not easy to categorize when the Americans prefer pepperoni and the Japanese favor squid.

Having said that prefered pizza toppings are individual, I have attempted to compile a list of pizza toppings without using esoteric marshmallow and squid ink! Pizza is so universal that a pizza chef somewhere will have added every type of food known to man on a pizza, for sure an Aborigine will have popped a witchetty grub on a pizza somewhere, the witchetty grub being the larvae of the ghost moth. Equally a Thai pizza chef will have used green ants at some time. Crickets are a delicacy in Burma .

Whilst I regard it as unlikely that a chef has not combined all of these three toppings on a pizza I am not going to put any money on it! Should any one want to try to put green ants on the pizza they are better as a garnish they should never be cooked it destroys the Vitamin C and it as their Vitamin C content that makes them a valuable food source.

Pizza toppings are normally placed upon a pizza in a specific order, not because it is tidy but because the pizza sauce keeps the pizza dough moist, the cheese then provides a bed for the toppings to rest on and they do not dry out or fall off as the pizza slice is held. More cheese is added to keep the dough moist and the garnish is not cooked so it is applied last after baking. The following list is the traditional order:

• Pizza Dough
• Pizza Sauce
• Cheese
• Pizza Toppings
• Cheese
• Garnish

And here's a list of popular or some more obscure pizza toppings. Maybe you can get some inspiration out of this list, you may encounter some toppings that you didn't think of before:

Vegetables: Alfalfa Sprouts Artichoke hearts Avocado Baby leeks Beetroot Black Beans Broccoli Capers Capicolla Carrot Cherry tomatoes Dried tomatoes Eggplant Fungi Fungi carciofi Green peppers Kalamata olives Lettuce Mushrooms Onions Olives Peas Porcini mushrooms Portobello Mushrooms Red beans Red onions Red peppers Roast cauliflower Roasted eggplant Roasted Garlic Roasted peppers scallions Shallots Snow peas Spinach Sun dried tomatoes Sweet corn Watercress Wild mushrooms Yellow peppers Yellow squash Zucchini

Nuts: Almonds Peanuts Pistachios Pecans Pine Nuts Walnuts Herbs and Spîces: Basil Bay Leaf Cardamon Chili Dried or Fresh Chives Cilantro Coriander Cumin Dill Garlic Jalapeno Peppers Laurel Marjoram Methi Leaves (aka Fenugreek) Oregano Parley Pepper Rosemary Basil Bay Leaf Cardamon

Sea Food: Anchovies Cajun Prawn Crayfish Lobster Oysters Prawns Salmon Shrimps Smoked Salmon Squid Tuna Whitebait Cheese: Blue Cheese Brie Camembert Chedar Colby Feta Goat Cheese Gorgonzola Limburger Manchego Monterey Jack Parmesan Mozzarella Muenster Port de Salut Provolone Ricota Romano Roquefort Smoked Gouda

Meats: Bacon BBQ Chicken Beef Cajun Chicken Chicken Masala Chicken Tikka Chorizo Duck Ham Honey Cured Ham Meatballs Pepperoni Proscuitto Salami Sausage Serrano Ham Turkey Venison

Southwestern Oil Sauce

Ingredients Required

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• 1/4 cup salad oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin seed
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Step by Step Procedure

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1. Puree ingredients in a blender and store in a small covered jar.
2. Brush oil sauces on pizza dough, sprinkle on desired cheese, and then toppings.
3. Cook just like sauced pizzas, however they may take just a 1-2 minutes less time until done.

Additional Information

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• These recipes makes enough sauce for 2 12" pizzas.
• By using these examples, it's not hard to come up with your own variation based on your taste.

Canning Pizza Sauce

Canning Pizza Sauce

Canning Pizza Sauce preserves the sauce for use at any time of the year. It utilizes fresh simmer tomatoes when they are cheap and plentiful. The advantage that canning pizza sauce has over freezing pizza sauce is that it does not take room in the freezer; the canned pizza sauce can stay in the garage or a barn. The disadvantage of canning a pizza sauce is that it is possible to get bacteria into the finished product. However if you are using boiled jars or use a sterilizing tablet similar for babies' bottles then this risk is minimized.

Cooked vs. Uncooked Pizza Sauce

Cooked vs. Uncooked Pizza Sauce

Whether to use a cooked pizza souce or an uncooked pizza souce is a matter of personal preference. A cooked sauce has been reduced and if used hot may make the cheese melt before the base pizza dough is cooked. Both options have their benefits. One of the clear advantages of a cooked sauce is if it is winter and you have no fresh herbs, the cooked sauce absorbs the taste of dried herbs.

You can save your cooked pizza sauce in ice trays and then bag them up in a plastic bag, so you'll have a homemade pizza sauce ready in a portion that you are going to use.

If you don't have enough time to make a homemade pizza sauce then use an uncooked pizza sauce: buy concentrated tomato paste or liquidized tomato usually sold Italian style as passatta. All you need to do is spread it on the pizza dough.

Modern chefs are adapting pizza to combine the raw and the cooked sauces. See this recipe for Prosciutto, Herb & Rocket Pizza.

Oil, Herbs & Spices

Herbs and spices are used to enhance the flavor of your sauce. The most common herbs used in pizza sauce are oregano, basil, thyme, sage, marjoram, savory and mint. Oregano is the most popular spice in pizza sauce.

An easy way to spice your sauce is by adding infused olive oil. The bottle will keep for ages in the fridge and it can be put directly on the pizza base of either the raw dough or the precooked pizza.

South Western sauce is olive oil with garlic, oregano, cummin and black pepper.


Californian oil sauce: olive oil infused with garlic, pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, marjoram and chili
flakes.


Garlic oil is also very useful and can be made by infusing olive oil with garlic.

An oil infusion that is good with chicken pizza is tarragon oil.

science of pizza sauce recipe

The science of pizza sauce recipes is unfortunately subject to as many variables as finding thebest pizza dought recipe. Making homemade pizzas of the quality served in pizzerias is possible, but you need to do a little experimenting to adapt recipes to your taste. No pizza sauce recipe is written in stone, use your imagination. Pizza sauces should be fun and are the perfect food to experiment with.

Making a homemade pizza means that you know exactly what went into it, you have control over your diet because you can be sure that there are no additives or preservatives. Learning how to make pizza sauce will save you money and you'll be in control of the nutrients your family eats.

For healthy eating the best pizza sauce recipe is a simple low fat tomato sauce, topped with vegetables and fish. The cream and butter laden sauces, such as Alfredo sauce should not be eaten regularly if you want your food to be heart friendly.

The Classic Neapolitan pizza dough Shape

The Classic Neapolitan pizza dough Shape

The Neapolitans favor a thicker pizza with a rim. The dough should be a little over 3mm or 1/8 of an inch thick. The edges are a little thicker so that they will puff up in the cooking process. This means that this will form a natural barrier and keep the filling in the center.

The Classic Roman pizza dough Shape

The Roman style pizza does not have a rim because their pizza fillings are more viscous and they tend to stay in place and not have a tendency to slide off the pizza. The pizza is never more than 3mm or 1/8 of an inch thick.

Styles of Pizza Dough

Styles of Pizza Dough

What shape and size your pizza should be depends on how many people you want to feed and how traditional you want to make the pizza. Pizzas are not always round. the Sorrento region in Italy is famous for its rectangular pizza.

Though in theory pizzas can be any shape, a shape such as a crescent is not practical to pick up, as the filling will hold in the center and fall of the edge. Really the only important thing you have to decide is how thick or thin you want to make your finished pizzas.

For the traditionalists regarding Italian pizza dough recipes, there are two schools of thought dominated by the Romans and the Neapolitans.

How to Ascertain the Pizza Is Cooked

How to Ascertain the Pizza Is Cooked

If your oven has a glass door this is an easy process. If the pizza has a rim then the dough develops blisters and it is golden brown, without a rim the golden brown color of the edge indicates that the pizza is ready to be eaten.

If the oven has not got a glass door it's more difficult to check if your pizza is ready. Do remember that every time you open the oven door, heat is lost and the pizza becomes less than perfect each time the door is opened.

The process, depending on the oven, takes between ten to fifteen minutes and it will take longer if you have more than one pizza in. A thicker crust will also take longer than a thinner crust.

How To Make Pizza Dough

How To Make Pizza Dough

Strong white flour is best (in some countries this flour is marked as bread flour). Although plain flour can be used as well, it does not have the same high gluten content and therefore the finished pizza dough will not be as stretchy. Watching a pizza chef doing acrobatics with the dough is proof enough how elastic the dough should be, they throw it in the air and catch it with their fingers without it leaving a dent in the dough. This shows that the gluten has done its work and the pizza dough is robust and flexible.

Whilst it is technically possible to get the pizza dough to rise faster by placing the dough in a warm place, experts tend to agree that the finished pizza dough is best left to rise naturally, whatever the pizza dough recipe. After kneading the dough should be left to double in size naturally. This should be a process that is completed by the eye and not the clock. It can take anything between 1 hour and 2 hours depending on the temperature and the amount of draught.

Pay attention to the kneading process: it eliminates excess gas produced by the yeast and quite literally knocks the air out of the pizza dough. Many people find the action of kneading the dough very therapeutic and chefs are often asked how you can tell when the dough is kneaded sufficiently. The answer is: you can feel it in your hands (practice makes perfect).

Pizza dough keeps in the refrigerator for several days and frozen pizza dough can be kept for several months. I always have frozen pizza dough in the freezer for emergencies, and I find that if it is frozen in pieces the size of golf balls then it is defrosted in ten minutes.

When you come to baking your pizza dough, the chances are that you are using a conventional oven rather than one fired from the volcanic rocks of Vesuvius. The baking time is always intense and short and the temperature should be 220°C or 425°F. The pizza dough should always be placed on the upper shelves, and whilst you can cook more than one pizza base at once, they should never be placed at less than the middle. This is because heat rises and you cannot get the best heat at the bottom of an oven.