Pizza night

Friday nights are our pizza night.  It has been that way since forever.   The recipe for the dough is so simple.  It's from the Betty Crocker Cookbook that I was given as a bridal shower gift.

Dough for 1 pizza
1 c. warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sugar (I use honey, you can use any sweetener - agave, maple syrup, etc.)
1 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (you can use white,  wheat or a combo of both.  Our personal favorite is fresh ground Kamut.)

Pour the warm water into your mixer bowl.  Add the yeast.  Add the olive oil, then the honey (in this order the honey will drip right in.) and the salt.  Add 1 cup of flour, mix, add another cup of flour, and mix for a minute or so.  Add the final cup of flour and mix in the mixer for about 3 minutes.
The dough should be a smooth, gathered ball that gives a little when you push with your finger and does not feel sticky.

Pam spray a glass bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat.
Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  (I turn on my oven when I begin to make the dough, then turn it off.  Then I put my bowl in the warm oven.)

I try to alternate the kinds of pizza I make. 

• pepperoni (nitrite free)
• Hawaiian (pineapple bits and nitrite free bacon pieces from Trader Joe's)
• vegetable (olives, bell pepper, mushroom, zucchini)
• Sausage and red onion.

and my absolute FAVORITE....

• Pesto with chicken, artichoke hearts and green onions.

 Grated mozzarella cheese, chopped, cooked chicken, pesto, sliced green onions, artichoke hearts with juice reserved.

 

 After the dough has sat in a warm place, it will be double in size.

 

 Place your dough on a floured surface.

 

 Sprinkle a little flour on the top to prevent sticking to the rolling pin.

Roll out the dough to a circle a little larger than the size of the pizza pan you have.

 Look, cheese in the crust...tremendous!

The crust extends over the pizza pan about 2 ".  Place a small amount of shredded mozzarella on the overhanging part.

 

 

 Fold the dough over the cheese and twist as you go to make for a beautiful edge.

 Mix the pesto, the artichoke hearts and the reserved artichoke juice together.  Spread onto the crust. 

Looking good...smelling even better! 

 Now add the chopped green onions.

 

next, add the cooked, chopped chicken

 

 

  Pop in a 500 degree oven - just until the edges of the crust start to brown.

 Pull out of the oven, and shake some grated parmesan cheese across the top.

 Lastly, add the shredded mozzarella cheese.

 

 Put back in the oven and cook until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

 

 We bought this great pizza peel from King Arthur Flour.

 

 

The masterpiece!  Oh my, it is so good!  Give it a try.