How About You: What Are Your Favorite Pizza Toppings?

Last night, we had another one of our pizza-making marathons. 13-year-old Aleks made the crusts, I made the sauce, and everyone pitched in making a pizza.

Having a pizza night is a lot like opening gifts on Christmas morning. I peek into the oven, see that the pie is done, grab the tongs and ease the creation off of the pizza stone, and transfer it to our butcher block island where it's cut and served right from there. Each new pie holds surprises. Last night, Aleks made a buffalo chicken-ranch pizza with fresh sliced garlic and basil, frozen from our summer's bounty. Mine was a white pizza with lots of mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and minced garlic. There's always a combination of interesting flavors. We toss on marinaded artichokes, green olives and feta, or a simple garlic butter, basil, feta, kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Aleks loves to make a dipping sauce for the crust out of olive oil, salt, basil, italian seasonings and red pepper flakes.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? What's the most unconventional pizza you've ever made? If you've never made pizza from scratch, what's stopping you?

Can't wait to hear your responses!

Heavy Pizza Sauce

This pizza sauce comes from Diane Morgan's book Pizza. She calls it a robust sauce that won't make the crust soggy. This recipe makes 3 1/2 cups of sauce--enough for several pizzas or a couple of pizzas, with extra to freeze.

2 12 ounce cans of tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons table salt or 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 chopped basil leaves or three additional teaspoons dried basil

In a large bowl, combine the paste, water and olive oil.

Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk well.

Can be stored in the fridge for five days or in the freezer for two months.

A Perfect Pizza Party and Pizza Sauce? Forget the Jar!

Yesterday afternoon, the Time to Cook kitchen was all aflutter. Crusts were mixing and rising. Food processors were chopping. Pots were bubbling on the stove. All of the Time to Cook family was at work in some way preparing for a pizza extravaganza; in just a few hours, we would be welcoming nineteen children and six adults to make pizzas from scratch. Fifteen-year-old Z was my right-hand-man, crumbling the feta, slicing the garlic, making his first-ever batches of pizza dough and mixing up this no-cook sauce in no-time.

The recipe Z threw together is not only delicious, but it's quick! Taking time to cook doesn't always mean cooking, and it doesn't always mean hours of labor. Sometimes it just means doing more than twisting off the top of a jar of store-bought pizza sauce.

This sauce meets the criterion. It doesn't need cooking, only takes a few minutes to assemble and--BONUS--it goes quite well with this crust.

If you don't make your own paste or have your own home-canned tomatoes, you can substitute by using store-bought.

This recipe comes from Diane Morgan's book Pizza. I very highly recommend it if you're a pizza lover, like I am.

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New York-Style Pizza Sauce

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice OR whole tomatoes put through the food processor briefly
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
One clove of minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.

Mix all of this together, then adjust seasonings to taste. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator up to five days or in the freezer up to two months.

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This was one of three sauces we made for the evening, including this slow-simmered sauce, and this other heavy, no-cook sauce, in addition to an alfredo for white pizza.

About an hour before the guest were to arrive, we turned on both ovens and I assembled a Deep Dish Onion and Spinach Pizza Pie so there would be something to munch on while the guests' crunchy creations were cooking. I pulled out the pizza screens I'd ordered from A Best Kitchen Supplies (great prices! quick shipping!) and we began laying out the toppings.

What a variety! We had:

Chopped spinach
Sun-dried tomatoes
Feta cheese
Sliced garlic
Mozzarella
Pepperoni
Banana peppers
Sliced roma tomatoes
Chunk roma tomatoes
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Sliced red onions
Sliced mushrooms
Olive oil
Basil
Oregano
Crushed Red Pepper

Kids and adults alike had fun taking turns around the big butcher-block island and arranging toppings, coming up with some wonderful creations. Some were tried and true. Some tested the boundaries. A square personal pizza? Why not? Nothing but tomatoes, garlic and olive oil along with a sprinkling of basil and oregano? What the heck? Never eaten Feta on a pizza before? Give it a shot!

The Onion and Spinach Deep Dish was a big hit, even among the young ones and those who claimed an aversion to garlic. I think my personal favorite pizza combination was the alfredo sauce with sliced garlic, feta cheese, chopped spinach, parmigiano reggiano, then drizzled with olive oil. And not just because I made it myself.

Clean-up was a snap, since the mamas of the families dove in to do and dry dishes.

And there were leftovers. I froze the extra dough and sauce. And the leftover pizza?

Breakfast, of course!

Deep-Dish Spinach and Onion Pizza Pie

When you make this pizza, keep in mind that it's going to be small in diameter but big in flavor...and tall! Since it's a pizza pie, it will also be stuffed with cheese, onions and spinach, a combination that has so much substanance that you won't even notice it's meatless. In addition, the thick sauce you add during the last minutes of baking really adds substantially to the dish. Two slices and not only is the pizza stuffed--so are you!

The time elements in this recipe are the sauce and the dough. This recipe is a bit more labor-intensive because of the several steps in assembling and baking the pizza, so there is more than just waiting involved. This one actually takes some hands-on work.

But it's worth it! Take the time and enjoy the process!

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Spinach and Onion Pizza Pie

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. and put your pizza stone or rack on the second to the bottom space of the oven.

Coat a 9-inch round springform pan with olive oil. From your ball of dough, remove a small ball (about 1/4 of the ball) to reserve for the top crust.

Using the rest of the dough and starting in the middle of the dough, press the dough into the springform pan, starting in the center, cover the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

While it's resting, get your ingredients ready:

8 ounces of baby spinach, chopped coarsely
2 cups of coarsely shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
3 ounces of thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
1 large onion, chopped into large hunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
Red pepper flakes, to taste
2 cups sauce
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Saute the onion in the olive oil until slightly limp. Combine the onion, red pepper flakes, spinach and mozzarella in a bowl and set aside.

Now, get your pan back out and readjust the dough if it has slid down the sides of the pan. Lay the mozzarella slices on the bottom of the pan, completely covering the bottom of the crust. Pour the spinach mixture in the pan.

Remember that little piece of dough you saved back? Stretch that out with your hand to form a 9" round circle, and then prick it all over with a fork. Top the spinach mixture with this crust and then fold the two edges of dough down to make a crust around the edge of the pizza. Try not to make it too thick, or you'll end up with a too much crust on the edges.

Now, working very quickly, put the pizza in the oven so you don't lose heat. Bake about twelve minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Take the pizza out of the oven, ladle the sauce over the top but not around the edges, sprinkle the parmesan on, then put the pizza back in the oven.

This time, once the pizza's in the oven, release the clamp on the side of your springform pan, but don't take it off. Bake the pizza until it's all nice and browned, about ten more minutes or so. Before you take the pizza out, carefully re-latch the pan using oven mitts. Take the pizza out of the oven and set it on a cooling rack. Now you can take off the springform rim completely. Let it cool for about five minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.

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Delicious!

It took some time, but it was worth it!

Be sure to check the original version of this pizza and other recipes from Diane Morgan's book, Pizza. The recipes are fabulous!

Deep-Dish Pizza--Starting with the Crust

Making deep-dish pizza takes a little extra effort, but not much. If you've never eaten deep-dish pizza--and I don't mean what they serve at fast-food pizza places but true, Chicago-style deep-dish pizza--think pizza pie, because that's what this is. It's a big, stuffed pie and one or two pieces can stuff a person.

This pizza is a variation of the stuffed spinach pizza found in Diane Morgan's book, Pizza, a delightful exploration of many different pizzas from Neapolitan to dessert pizza, explaining all the basics of pizza making, including ingredients and equipment. Lots of delicious photos in this one. If you check out here website, you'll find other pizza recipes there.

For this deep-dish pizza, you're going to need a new crust, and the one I made was in Diane's book, as well.

Before you begin the crust, you'll need a batch of the the sauce posted earlier. Get that started, then come back to begin your crust. Diane gives instructions for mixing the dough by hand and in a mixer. I'm giving you the mixer method. Pick up Diane's book for the hand-mixed method.

Chicago-Style Butter-and-Garlic Deep-Dish Pizza Dough from Pizza by Diane Morgan

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (90-100 degrees farenheit)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour (I use King Arthur bread flour), plus more for dusting
1/2 cup medium-grind cornmeal
1 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 or more cloves or garlic, minced to a paste
vegetable oil for oiling the bowl and the pan

In the mixer-bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast with 1/4 cup of the warm water, then add the sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour.

Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until combined.

Place a clean, damp kitchen towel over the bowl and let this rest for 20 minutes. This is called a "sponge."

After twenty minutes, add the remaining 1 cup warm water and three cups of flour, the cornmeal and the salt. Combine the butter and the garlic, and add those.

Mix on low speed until all the flour is incorporated and the dough forms a coarse ball, about four minutes.

Let the whole thing rest for about 2 minutes.

Mix on medium speed until it's all smooth and sticky, about three minutes.

Turn the dough, even if it's sticky, onto a well-floured work surface and knead for a minute or two until it's smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup of flour, if necessary.

Lightly oil a large bowl (I use a rubbermaid-type container and lid), add the dough, turn to coat, and set it somewhere warm, but not hot, to rest and rise.

You can either let this rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a warm spot, or you can slow-rise it in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. Bring it to room temp before the final rise.

When the dough has doubled, knead it for 2-3 minutes and press it into your pan.

For our recipe, it's going to go into a springform pan, so we'll continue with the dough in the Deep Dish Spinach and Onion recipe in my next post.

Pizza from Scratch--starting with the sauce

::whistling patiently::

While we're waiting for the pasta maker to arrive, let's talk Italian. Pizza, to be more specific. Pizza crust and pizza sauce, to be very, very specific.

When I go to the store and see the Boboli shells and other pre-made pizza crusts, I can only think of one thing to say. Why?

I mean, I know why. It was a rhetorical question, actually.

But making your own crust is SO easy! And, while it is slow, it's not as slow as driving to the store and spending too much money on mediocre pre-made crusts!

Pizza crust is basic. And if you make an easy one, it's very basic. Remember, just because something takes time doesn't mean it's complicated.

So, for the next couple of days, we're going to make very uncomplicated but delicious pizzas. Beginning, of course, with the sauce.

The sauce, you say? Doesn't the pizza start with the crust? Why, sure it does. But the sauce takes longer to cook down, and it's essential that it's fully cooked down and cooled before you begin, so, we'll begin with that.

Now, if we were going to start from scratch, we'd begin with our own tomatoes and fresh basil, but since not everyone has access to their own tomatoes, we'll begin with regular, whole canned tomatoes and make accomodations for the fresh basil. Then we'll go from there.

This batch of sauce will make four 14" pizzas or 2 deep dish pizzas. You can use it right away, refrigerate it for a couple of days, or even freeze it. This is a variation of a recipe from Pizza by Diane Morgan.

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Delicious Pizza Sauce

4 cans whole tomatoes or home-canned tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons dried oregano
lots and lots of fresh garlic
1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped, or three teaspoons dried basil

In a big saucepan, dump all four cans of tomatoes, the onion, the kosher salt and the oregano. Here's the fun part: take a potato masher and squish each of the tomatoes, releasing all of their juice into the pan. Turn the pan on medium-low heat and bring it to a simmer. Simmer it like this, uncovered, until all of the liquid is gone. This can take up to an hour-and-a-half, so start this early and be patient. Stir the sauce every once in a while to make sure it's not burning on the bottom.

After all of the liquid has cooked off, take the sauce from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

When it has cooled off, add lots and lots of fresh, crushed garlic (six cloves or so, more or less depending on your preferences) and your basil.

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While the sauce is cooking, start your pizza crust.

Super Easy Pizza Crust

Super easy pizza crust

Originally found on Fine Cooking. This makes two 14" pizzas.

1 package of active-dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/2 cup very warm water (110 degrees)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside.

Put a little less than 4 cups of the flour and all of the salt in a food processor with the steel blade and process it for a bit to mix it up.

Turn on the machine and add the yeast water through the food tube in a steady stream.

Turn off the machine; add the oil; pulse for a few seconds to mix the oil.

When you take the dough out of the food processor, it should be slightly sticky. It's okay if it's not fully mixed.

Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it's nice and smooth.

Divide it in two, form each half into a smooth ball, lightly coat a container with oil (I like to use a rubbermaid-like container with a lid, one with plenty of room for the dough to double) and roll the dough in the oil. Cover it and set it in a warm--not hot--place to rise until doubled.

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Now go check on your sauce.

Pizza from Scratch

Homemade pizza fills the house with such a fabulous blend of aromas and inspires such creativity that, before you know it, everyone will be in the kitchen suggesting toppings or jumping in to make their own. My fifteen-year-old son said to me today as we were assembling pizzas, "I love it when we make pizza. We always end up in the kitchen together." See? You're making more than pizza, here.

After you've made your sauce and your dough has doubled in size, it's time to form the crust and assemble the pizza.

The very best way to form the crust is by stretching it with your hands. Some people try to use a rolling pin, but that just traps the air bubbles and stretches things in the wrong places, leaving you with a cattywampas, holey crust.

You can see a video of someone forming crust using the hand-stretched method here.

After you've shaped your crust, put it either on a pizza peel or a pizza pan sprinkled with cornmeal or a bit of flour. Then it's time to top the pizza.

My personal favorites are the simplest ones. For me, I prefer leaving the sauce off of the crust, sprinkling the crust with generous amounts of sliced garlic, adding a bit of kosher salt, generously sprinkling the whole thing with chopped fresh basil, then drizzling melted butter over the whole thing. Sometimes, if I have fresh tomatoes, I'll add slices of them, too. Top it with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and pop it in the oven. I have a pizza stone (five bucks at the thrift store!), so I heat the oven to about 500 degrees while mixing the dough so that the stone is thoroughly heated, and I place the whole pizza pan on the stone on the bottom rack of the oven and bake it until the toppings are bubbly and the crust is golden brown and crisp. If you have a pizza peel, use a quick jerking motion to transfer the pizza to the pizza stone and bake until it's done, about fifteen minutes.

Take the pizza out, slide it off the pan or peel onto a cutting surface and let it rest about five mintues. Then use a sharp spatula or knife, using a rocking motion, to cut the pie. Rotary pizza cutters generally just drag your toppings across the pizza, so I don't use one.

Using your deliciuos sauce, top the pizza or serve it on the side.

Of course, you can do things the traditional way, too, by smearing the sauce on the crust, topping with mozzarella, and adding your favorite toppings.

You can find more ideas for pizza toppings here.

We'll explore some more pizza options tomorrow, including deep dish pizzas! Yum!