Homemade Pizza

These recipes were featured in my newsletter dated April 26, 2007.

Homemade Pizza
by Chip Desormeaux

If you're lucky, your grocery store's bakery department will sell you a one pound ball of proofed bread dough. A pound of dough will make one 12-14 inch crust. You can also use jarred spaghetti sauce or marinara if you want. But then, I guess you could also just call up Pizza Hut, too!

I've provided recipes for my marinara and my pizza dough below, in case you want to make the dough and sauce yourself.

2 c. jarred marinara (at least)
2# proofed bread dough from the bakery

Various Pizza Toppings:

1¼# sweet Italian sausage
(about one link per 12" pizza, broken up and cooked ahead)
¼# pepperoni, sliced very thinly
(12-15 slices per 12" pizza, always on top so they crisp up nicely)
3-4 c. mozzarella cheese
½ c. shredded Parmesan
mushrooms
(I use fresh because they get cooked enough while in the oven)
very thinly sliced green bell pepper
(about ½ pepper per pizza)
very thinly sliced purple onions
(about ¼ onion per pizza)
marinated artichoke hearts
(not too many of these!)
eggplant
(jarred or cook it first)
Pecorino, Romano, Fontina, Feta cheeses
ham
bacon (pre-cooked)
proscitto ham
(do not pre-cook it and be sure to put it on top of everything else)

Click to view larger image.

On a clean floured board, roll out the dough until it's the size you're looking for. 1# of dough is enough to make a 12" round of dough that will bake up to about ½ inch thick. The best way to roll the dough out is roll it out one way and flip it over so it's up-side-down and perpendicular to itself and then roll it out again, re-flouring as needed.

Turn the dough out onto a round pizza pan or a cookie sheet (one pan per pizza dough) and let it rise some more for about 30 minutes. I usually do this by turning my oven on for about 2 minutes just so it has time to get warm (about 80-90°) and then turn it off.

In the mean time, prepare your toppings. The Italian sausage will need to be removed from the casing and crumbled and cooked. The pepperoni will need to be sliced. The peppers and onions sliced. The bacon partially cooked, etc.

Smear about 1 c. of sauce over the pizza dough (per pizza) all the way to the edges. Then sprinkle about half a cup of mozzarella cheese on each. Then some Italian sausage, then your peppers and onions. Artichokes and eggplant if you want them. Then top each with a cup or so more mozzarella, all the way to the edges. Then, you want to sprinkle a bit of shredded Parmesan (or pecorino) over that. And I like to sprinkle a little black pepper over the whole thing for color.

Now you put the ham, pepperoni, and/or bacon on. This is so the pieces get direct exposure to the heat and become crispy.

Position your oven rack in the upper two-thirds of the oven. If you're doing two pizzas and don't have enough room for both pizzas on one shelf (I know you won't), then put a second shelf two slots lower than the first one. When you're ready to put the pizza in, you'll position one pizza closer to the left on one shelf and the other closer to the right, so you get good circulation.

Set the oven temperature for 400° and place your pizza(s) when ready. Bake for 12-15 minutes. (If you're baking two at a time, swap them after 8 minutes.)

Pizza Dough Recipe:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1¼ c. warm water
2 tbs. EVOO
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar (optional)
3½+ c. White Lilly all purpose flour
½ c. corn meal (for dusting)

Note: the remaining parts of the pizza can be prepared while the dough is rising and during its various stages of proofing. Once the dough is put aside to rise, start the marinara sauce. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the various toppings and put them into separate bowls so assembling the pizzas can be done easily and put straight into the oven.

Combine dry yeast with the warm water in a large mixing bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Add EVOO, salt and sugar and stir to combine. Then immediately mix in the flour with your fingers until all blended.

Gather up all the dough and knead it on a floured board for about 7-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

Clean and coat the mixing bowl lightly with EVOO and transfer the dough back into the bowl and turn it over to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75° to 80°) until doubled in volume, 1-1½ hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease and dust 2 baking sheets with corn meal. Or, place a baking stone in the oven and preheat it for 45 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 10-15 minutes.

Flatten each ball of dough 1 at a time on a lightly floured work surface into 12-inch round, rolling and stretching the dough. Place each dough circle on a prepared baking sheet; if using a baking stone, place them on baker's peels dusted with cornmeal. Lift the edge and pinch it to form a lip. To prevent the filling from making the crust soggy, brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

Use your fingertips to push dents in the surface of the dough (to prevent bubbling) and let rest for about 10 minutes (do not skip this step). The pizza is now ready to be topped. Once topped, bake pizza(s) for 12-15 minutes.

Marinara Sauce Recipe:
½ c. finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp. fennel seeds
1 tbs. Italian seasoning
1 tbs. EVOO
3x 14 oz. Contadina brand crushed tomatoes
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 bay leaf

Cook onion, garlic, fennel seeds, and Italian seasonings in EVOO over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until tender and fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and remaining ingredients.

Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces and flavors meld. Discard bay leaves. (No salt is needed)

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Homemade Pizza Recipe