Foodie Friday - Pizza Night!

FOODIE FRIDAY!

PIZZA NIGHT
by Resident Chef James Wood

Greetings,

If there's one food I think I could eat everyday for the rest of my life it would be pizza!

I will include how to make my dough and the step by step procedures to prepare this weekly tradition in my house.

For the dough

1 cup luke warm water

1 package of red star fast acting yeast

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

For the Toppings.... Now that's completely up to you. Just remember... Less is more when it comes to topping pizza. I like light and flavorful, not a heavy greasy take out style pie but that's me.

Step 1

In a mixer add water, yeast, olive oil, salt and sugar and let sit for about 3-5 minutes so the yeast can bloom.

Step 2

Add the A.P. and whole wheat flour and mix for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes.  It should look like this when ready.  (notice how it just stopped sticking to the bowl, that means its ready!)

Step 3

Place on board and shape into a tube, then cut in half.

Step 4
Knead the dough into balls.

Then place the balls into 2 presprayed containers and spray the top of the balls as well. Put lid on the containers and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 435 degrees.

Stretching/Rolling the dough:

Step 5

Spray 2 pizza pans with pan spray then place the balls in flour and pat them off and place them in the middle of the pans.

Step 6

Stretch the dough with your hands or roll out with a pin if you don't trust yourself. Then drizzle with olive oil.

Brush oil to evenly coat the crust and bake for 7 minutes.  I like to season mine with salt and pepper.

Topping your pizza:

Now that you have a blank canvas you can go nuts with whatever you like, seriously get creative and post what you made.   It's fine to use tomato sauce in a jar that's what I do in a pinch.

I put roast chicken, caramelized onions, bacon, artichoke hearts and tomatoes on mine because it's my wife's favorite. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes and you will have a gourmet pizza at a pauper price of just around $4/pizza.

 

Say good bye to pre fabricated and hello to fresh.

Cheers and have a great weekend!

James Wood

cookinwood@gmail.com

James with his wife Lisa.