Monday, July 25, 2011

Cheesy Basil Pizza & Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

I have a confession to make.

 

I used to hate pizza.

I know, it's weird, right? Like what kid doesn't like pizza?

The pasta-obsessed child that's who. Aka me.

It wasn't that I didn't like cheese or bread because c'mon those are like the holy grail of the food groups. It was just that I didn't like.......tomato sauce.



When I would come home from school as a kid, I would make a snack. Either a box of mac n cheese or a box of pasta with butter and cheese. Yes I said a box. I ate the whole thing. Yes it was a snack. What can I say... I like my pasta.


One time when I was seven years old my uncle bet me $100 that I couldn't finish this gigantic plate of pasta that probably weighed more than my seven-year-old-being. You bet your bottom-dollar I finished the whole thing! True story.

Anyway back to the pizza. Apparently every seven years your taste buds change (or so my wiser, older sister tells me) and I have now grown to love things I once hated: sushi, eggplants, tomato sauce, and pizza. Moral of the story: keep trying new foods!

Don't get me wrong I still really don't like take-out pizza. That stuff is so oily the grease drips off each slice. Nasty. This pizza is definitely not take-out (or DiGiorno's). The crust is crunchy and whatever toppings you put on it instantly make it "gourmet" haha or so I tell myself. I usually throw on every vegetable I have in the fridge but this time around I really needed to go grocery shopping so I just caramelized some onions (YUMM) and threw some fresh basil on top with the cheese. 

And don't be nervous about using yeast! I didn't even know people were scared of it and I used it and had no problemo. Like I tell my kids at the tutoring center, it's easy peasy!

Cheesy Basil Pizza 
Recipe from The Savvy Kitchen
Makes enough dough for one, 16" large pizza

1 cup warm water 
1 package dry yeast (2.25 tsp.) 
1/2 tsp. salt 
1 tsp. sugar 
2 tsp. olive oil 
3 cups flour, divided

Put cup of warm water in bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, sugar and olive oil. Stir in 2 cups of the flour to combine and then add another 1/2 cup of flour until the dough comes together and becomes elastic. Put the other 1/4 cup of flour on a board and knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it becomes smooth.

Put the ball of dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Leave in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and knead it lightly on a surface covered in the remaining flour. Roll or stretch the dough to fit a pizza pan or baking stone.

If the dough is too elastic to cover the pan and it keeps springing back, stretch it out and let it rest. Keep stretching it and letting it rest until it relaxes enough to cover the pan.


Top with desired toppings. I like to put tomato sauce, sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, caramelized onions, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil. This would also be delicious as a white pizza though with no sauce! Cook in a preheated 450 degrees F oven for 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

2 comments:

  1. Yum! Your pizza looks delicious! The dough looks so light and fluffy. Mmm.

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  2. Oh this just looks so delicious!! I love basil so much and always grow a lot of it during the Summer.

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