Pizza Recipes

Sicilian Thick Crust

(makes a 17 1/2" X 11 1/2" Pizza)

4 cups All−Purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbsps oil
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water (105F)

Mix yeast, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup water in a bowl covered with
plastic wrap. Let rise for 15 minutes. Stir to deflate.
Mix 2 cups of remaining flour with salt, 1 cup cool tap water, and
oil. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour.

Knead 15 minutes on a floured surface (10 minutes in a machine) until
smooth. Place dough in bowl dusted with flour and cover with plastic
wrap. Let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours). Punch dough down and put
in ziploc bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 500F.

Remove dough from refrigerator when ready to shape into crust. Punch
down dough thoroughly and roll out dough on a floured surface.
Lightly oil (olive) a 17 1/2" X 11 1/2" X 3/4" pan. Place dough in
pan and push to stretch evenly leaving a lip up against sides of pan.

Let rest for 10−15 minutes (while you prepare toppings). Stretch out
dough again (it will have receded) and place desired toppings.

Cook in center of oven until crust is golden brown.



Sunny Side Up Pizza

6 Slices Bacon, cooked
Pizza Dough for 12" Pizza (try Thin Crust recipe)
2 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 teas. ground black pepper
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 500F. Prepare dough according to recipe found in this
book. Divide in two and roll out into two circles about 6 inches in
diameter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Arrange tomato
slices on dough. Sprinkle cheese on tomatoes leaving a 2−3 inch well
in the center (to hold the egg). Place bacon on top of cheese around
the outside.

Bake the pizzas for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and crack an egg into
the center of each. Sprinkle with pepper and return to oven. Bake
until the egg is set and the crust is browned, about 10 minutes more.



Chicago Style Pizza

DOUGH:
1 Package active dry yeast
2 teas. Sugar
1 1/4 cups Warm water
2 3/4 cups All−purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tbls. Olive oil
1 teas. Salt

TOPPING:
1 cup Pizza sauce
12 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. Ground beef, crumbled, cooked
1/4 lb. Italian Sausage, crumbled, cooked
1/4 lb. Pork Sausage, crumbled, cooked
1/2 cup Pepperoni, diced
1/2 cup Canadian bacon, diced
1/2 cup Ham, diced
1/4 lb. Mushrooms, sliced
1 small Onion, sliced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded, sliced
2 oz. Grated Parmesan cheese

1. For dough, sprinkle yeast and sugar into warm water in small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. Mix flour, cornmeal, oil and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center and add yeast mixture. Stir to form a soft dough, adding more flour if necessary. Turn onto a floured board and knead until dough is supple and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until dough has doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down.

3. Roll dough to a 13−inch circle. Transfer to an oiled 12−inch pizza pan, folding the excess over to make a small rim. Spread with pizza sauce; sprinkle with all but a handful of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with meats and vegetables. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Let rise in a warm spot about 25 minutes.

4. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Bake pizza until crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.



Tex Mex Pizza

1 12 inch Thin Crust Dough shell (uncooked)
2 large Tomatoes, diced
1 tbls. Chopped jalapeno pepper
4 Green onions, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbls. Grated parmesan cheese
1 Avocado, chopped
1/2 cup Sour cream
2 tbls. Chopped Cilantro

Spoon tomatoes over pizza dough, leaving a 1/2" border. Top with jalapenos, garlic and onion. Sprinkle with cheeses and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake in 500 degree oven for 10 to 14 min. until bottom of crust is golden brown. Top with avocado, a dollop of sour cream and cilantro. Pass extra sour cream.



Seafood Pizza

1 12 inch Pizza Dough shell (uncooked)
3/4 cup Crab meat
3/4 cup Tiny shrimp
1/2 cup Crushed pineapple
5 Mushrooms, sliced
4 1/4 oz. Canned sliced black olives
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup White cheddar cheese grated

Spread pizza dough on to a pizza pan. Top with crab, shrimp, pineapple, mushrooms, olives, green pepper, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Bake at 450 degrees F. until cheese is bubbly.



Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

1 Medium Onion, sliced
1 Medium Green pepper, sliced
8 oz. Mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. Roast beef, shaved
3 tbls. Worchestershire sauce
1/4 teas. Black pepper
1 Batch Sicilian Thick Crust Dough
3 tbls. Olive oil
1 teas. Crushed garlic
4 cups provolone cheese
1/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated


Sauté vegetables in 1 tb. olive oil until limp; add roast beef. Cook for three more minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and pepper; stir and remove from heat. Set aside. Brush prepared dough with 3 tb. olive oil and spread crushed garlic over entire surface of dough. Top with a light layer of shredded cheese, then meat/vegetable mixture, distributing evenly. Top with remaining shredded cheese, then Parmesan.

Bake in preheated 500F oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Let sit 5 minutes before cutting and serving.




BBQ Chicken Pizza
10 oz. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. favorite BBQ sauce

For the Pizza:
1 recipe Thin Crust Dough
Cornmeal, semolina, or flour for handling
1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce (a spicy−sweet sauce works best)
2 Tbs. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 small red onion, sliced into 1/8−inch pieces
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chopped fresh cilantro

To make BBQ Chicken:
In a large frying pan, cook the chicken in olive oil over medium−high heat until just cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not overcook.
Set aside in the refrigerator until chilled through. Once chilled, coat the chicken with 2 Tbs. BBQ sauce; set aside in the refrigerator.

To make the pizza:
Place the pizza stone in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. for one hour before cooking pizzas. Use a large spoon to spread 1/4 cup BBQ sauce evenly over the surface of the prepared dough within the rim. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. smoked Gouda cheese over the sauce. Cover with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella. Distribute half the chicken pieces evenly over the cheese (approximately 18 pieces). Place approximately 18 to 20 pieces of red onion over the surface. Sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup mozzarella over the top of the pizza.

Transfer the pizza to the oven; bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. When the pizza is cooked, carefully remove it from the oven; sprinkle 1 Tbs. cilantro over the hot surface. Slice and serve.




Grilled Pizza

1 teas. Salt
1 1/2 cup Warm water divided (110F)
3 1/2 cups Unbleached white flour
1/4 cup Corn meal
1/4 cup Whole wheat flour
4 tbls. Olive oil divided
2 teas. Light brown sugar
2 pks. dry yeast
Sauce, Cheese, and Toppings of your choice

(keep in mind the cooking time of these will be shorter than in an oven.

Use toppings that take little time at all (if any) to actually cook and do not overload. Try using a soft or crumbled cheese and a cooked, warm sauce.)

DOUGH: Measure 1/2 c warm water in a bowl. Add sugar and yeast and stir to dissolve. Let stand at least 5 minutes to proof (froth forms on top).

Meanwhile, sift together into a large bowl the white flour, wheat flour, corn meal and salt. Make a depression in the middle and add 3 Ts of the olive oil and 1 c warm water. Add yeast mixture. Mix all ingredients with your hands and gather together and place on floured board. Knead about 10 minutes, adding more flour if dough is sticky, to form a smooth, elastic mass. Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Add dough, turning it to coat top.

Cover and let rise in warm place, draft−free location until doubled in size − about 45 minutes.

While dough is rising prepare desired sauces and toppings. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and, on floured surface, roll out to desired shape about 1/2 inch thick. Coat both sides of shaped crust with olive oil, then place on grill directly over fire until upper surface begins to bubble (about 2 minutes). Fire must be very hot and grill must be clean (coals should be red with a small flame, like a steak fire; this is important). Watch crust closely and rotate with spatula if necessary. Remove crust and turn cooked side up (it should be golden brown).

Brush with olive oil, sauce, cheese and desired toppings. Sprinkle some olive oil over each pizza. Return for final cooking (2−4 minutes).