Ask anyone who enjoys cooking, and they will probably agree....a good pizza recipe is hard to find. My personal experience with pizza recipes involves hunting through magazine selections, online hints, Create TV, cooking channels and a slew of cookbooks including Better Homes and Gardens. All are informative and helpful, but so far my best find has been a recipe for pizza by the creative and awesomely talented Guy Fieri. The recipe itself is basic and straightforward, and the secret to its great flavor is found in the pizza dough. For folks who like their pizza basic (no chunky sauce, onions, ultrathin crusts or gourmet flavors), this is the one for you. The crust is thick and hearty, and you can either whip up your own pizza sauce (using a tomato paste and tomato sauce puree) or borrow a quick-fix at the grocery (Mama Mary's is my go-to brand these days). My husband is a meat-and-potatoes personality when it comes to food, so his toppings lean towards pepperoni (turkey), chorizo, or ham, and all of the above plus jalapenos, mushrooms and black olives for me. It's also a fun twist to squeeze a little pepperoncini juice to finish the flavor (like Papa John's). Eventually I plan on experimenting with dessert pizzas- currently on the lookout for a smores recipe, and a cinnamon apple streudel. And maybe later we'll do a "stuffed crust" on the regular pepperoni. But for now, this basic recipe works perfectly. All it requires is time and good planning- while the dough is in its rising stages, you can be doing other things in the meantime while waiting. Remember to start early enough to give yourself time for the prep work.
Here is the Guy Fieri Pizza Crust Recipe, as taken from the Guy Fieri Cookbook:
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp (or 2 packets) active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (plus a little extra for dusting)
(1) In a bowl, dissolve sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for 10 minutes or until foamy. Add olive oil and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix in the flour (by hand, in a large bowl).
(2) Turn the dough on to a floured board (or a cookie sheet, if pressed for space) and knead until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Place the dough in a bowl that has been wiped down with olive oil, and turn the dough to coat the surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until the dough is double in size, for about an hour.
(3) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide in half (for two large pizzas) or in four (for four small ones). Form into smooth, tight dough balls, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a well-floured kitchen towel, and set in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. *Note: at this point your kitchen will smell like a bakery with all the rising dough- just a nice side perk of baking at home :)
(4) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (or, if using a gas oven or high-powered oven, 475 degrees).
(5) Uncover the dough, and press dough with fingers until it is as flat as possible. Drape over both fists and gently pull edges out, while rotating crust. Or, to cut back a step, simply smooth the dough and press it outwards into a circular shape, which will allow you to make it either thick or thin crust. When desired size/thickness, place on a floured pizza pan or cookie sheet.
(6) Top the crusts with preferred toppings. Our family enjoys the basic traditional style pizza: tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, Mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan (prefer the shredded style), a drizzle of olive oil, turkey pepperoni/chorizo, and other toppings depending on who the pizza is for (use your imagination- pizzas can pretty much use anything from chicken to veggies to fancy cheeses- the sky's the limit).
(7) Bake for 8-12 minutes. Best served with Italian salad (toss mixed greens, artichoke hearts and Feta cheese with balsamic viniagrette) and icy-cold soft drinks.
Ciao from my kitchen to yours!!
~007
