[despoinaki]

You all know what it is and how it's made In my family we don't order a pizza but make one or two if we have guests! It's easy and healthier!

We'll need (for two 28 cm pizzas)

For the pizza Dough

1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
3 cups all- purpose flour (or more)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp sugar

Pizza Ingredients
-- you can use any ingredient you like, these are the ingredients I use every time--

Tomato sauce (purée)
Tomato thin slices
Mozzarella or gouda or edam cheese, shredded
Some feta cheese in cubes
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
peppers thinly sliced
Chopped fresh basil or mint
oregano
Sliced ham
some slices of sausage
some olive oil
salt
pepper


If you have an electric mixer, put the warm water and the yeast inside the mixer bowl and leave it for 5 minutes. Until it is dissolved. Then you have to put inside the dough ingredients in low speed and have it done in 10 minutes. Let the dough sit in a warm place for 1 hour.

--I personally don't have an electric mixer, so for those who don't have it, my method is this; I put the warm water in a bowl and the yeast as well. I mix it with my hand until the yeast is dissolved. I put inside all the dough ingredients and knead it with my hand. If the dough is wet and sticking on your hand, then add some more flour. When the dough is ready, I leave the bowl with a towel on it in a warm place (inside a room) for 1 hour.--

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Remove the towel from the dough and punch it so it can release the air. Divide the dough into 2 balls. In the meanwhile, prepare your desired toppings.
Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough. Make it as thick as desired- I personally don't like it too thin-- Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 28 cm. Brush with olive oil 2 baking pans. Place the dough to the baking pan. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy!

 

[gabriella]

That's a great recipe! I will save it because I love to make pizza. I always buy my dough already made but sounds easy enough Sounds delicious!

Thanks,
Renee

 

[LynandIndigo]

Yum Despina. I'll save this too love home made Pizza.. I also love them done in the hot ovens outside thanks for sharing.

 

[despoinaki]

thank you Lyn and Renee!I hope you like it!if you try it let me know!

 

[Budgiekeet]

I like to make pizzas on the grill in the summer. It needs to be a charcol grill. You get the coals all ready and then push them all to the outside edge. Carefully put the stretched dough on the grill in the center not over the coals. It is just like an oven. With the vents adjusted I keep mine at about 400°F. It takes a min or so then flip it over. it is now firm enough to stay together on its own and you can take it off the grill and put on you sauce and toppings. Put it back in the center of the grill and cook for 6-10 mins,depending on your temp, until done. The flavor of the charcol infused in the pizza is awesome. We make smaller individual size ones so everyone can make there own. When we have company visit and we make these on the grill it is always talked about for a couple of weeks .

 

[despoinaki]

I like to make pizzas on the grill in the summer. It needs to be a charcol grill. You get the coals all ready and then push them all to the outside edge. Carefully put the stretched dough on the grill in the center not over the coals. It is just like an oven. With the vents adjusted I keep mine at about 400°F. It takes a min or so then flip it over. it is now firm enough to stay together on its own and you can take it off the grill and put on you sauce and toppings. Put it back in the center of the grill and cook for 6-10 mins,depending on your temp, until done. The flavor of the charcol infused in the pizza is awesome. We make smaller individual size ones so everyone can make there own. When we have company visit and we make these on the grill it is always talked about for a couple of weeks .

I've never made pizzas on the grill! this is a great idea and I'm sure the flavour is awesome!

 

[Budgiekeet]

Made your dough today Despina . I gave it the 1hr rest and now have it in the fridge. It will get an awesome flavor the longer it rests in fridge. 24 hrs is perfect but I am going to make the pizza today so it will only get about 4 hrs or so then I will take it out and let rise another hr or so then make the pizza. I may make a traditional pizza or a deep dish. Will only know for sure when the time comes . I have green peppers, basil and shallots from the garden today and I have some homemade Italian sausage to use. I made a red sauce from the garden last night that I will use for the sauce.

Out of the mixer



Rested 1 hr

 

[despoinaki]

Here's mine, just out of the oven YUM

 

[despoinaki]

Made your dough today Despina . I gave it the 1hr rest and now have it in the fridge. It will get an awesome flavor the longer it rests in fridge. 24 hrs is perfect but I am going to make the pizza today so it will only get about 4 hrs or so then I will take it out and let rise another hr or so then make the pizza. I may make a traditional pizza or a deep dish. Will only know for sure when the time comes . I have green peppers, basil and shallots from the garden today and I have some homemade Italian sausage to use. I made a red sauce from the garden last night that I will use for the sauce.

Out of the mixer



Rested 1 hr

Rick the pics are great! you've done a great job there! I just let it grow for an hour. Once it was summer (38 C outside) and I let the dough grow for 2 hours. The result was having dough for 5 pizzas! I would also suggest not to put the dough in the fringe, because warmth is all the yeast "wants". Thanks for the pics and I am glad you tried it!
p.s. If you want an extra, sprinkle some oregano or dried mint in your dough. It will be something different and better in taste

 

[Budgiekeet]

Putting the dough in the fridge actually makes a better tasting crust, The one we had last night was in for 48 hrs and I think it was the best tasting we ever had. In baking it is a common thing to do as the slow rise in the fridge makes for some wonderful flavors . You should give it a try.

 

[despoinaki]

Oh I didn't know that! Nice tip I'll try that!

 

[Budgiekeet]

You still do an hour or two first rise outside the fridge. Do a punch down of the dough and then put it in an oiled plastic container and then in the fridge. You can pull it out and let rise again at room temp or just stretch it out and make your pizza

 

[LynandIndigo]

I think ill try out your pizza sometime Despina it looks yum.

 

[Budgiekeet]

Got it down to a T. I make 14"pizzas and making two stretches the dough thin so I have upped it to 4 cups. I use

480g flour
1cup plus 5.5 Tbls water
10g. yeast
1tbls sugar
1Tbls olive oil
1 heaping tsp salt

It is best when let to rise the first time and then I oil a container and put in the fridge for a slow rise for 2 days. Just pull it out and punch down, stretch on a pizza pan dusted with cornmeal, then let sit 30 mins to relax then final stretch and it does not spring back.

My favorite so far is pepperoni, grilled mushrooms in red wine, green peppers and artichoke hearts.

Im ready to open a Pizzaria

 

[despoinaki]

Got it down to a T. I make 14"pizzas and making two stretches the dough thin so I have upped it to 4 cups. I use

480g flour
1cup plus 5.5 Tbls water
10g. yeast
1tbls sugar
1Tbls olive oil
1 heaping tsp salt

It is best when let to rise the first time and then I oil a container and put in the fridge for a slow rise for 2 days. Just pull it out and punch down, stretch on a pizza pan dusted with cornmeal, then let sit 30 mins to relax then final stretch and it does not spring back.

My favorite so far is pepperoni, grilled mushrooms in red wine, green peppers and artichoke hearts.

Im ready to open a Pizzaria

Rick this one's a great recipe! It's similar to mine and similar to one I saw yesterday:

500 gr bread flour or more
1 packet active dry yeast (2 tsp)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar - it makes it more crusty
350 ml warm water
a little dried thyme
a little dried mint

If you open a Pizzeria or Spaghetteria, I'll be happy to taste your creations as your first customer!
One of my favourites this period is the greek one: feta cheese, olive slices, peppers, tomato.
I'll try your favourite next week

 

[Budgiekeet]

That recipe is almost the same 350ml--1.47 cups and mine was 1.33 cups, so with a tad more water and 20g more flour its probably the same. What does more crusty mean? I will have to try one with the vinegar.

I was toying with the idea of adding Fresh basil and oregano from the home garden. I have thyme and mint at my gardens at work. Sounds like fun .

And I dont know which I like better yet but the one with AP and Bread flower mixed was good. Experimenting is fun.

 

[despoinaki]

Yeah, sometimes I don't follow any instructions, I remember the recipe and I make some variations it's fun!
Sorry- vocabulary mistakes of a foreigner- vinegar makes doughs crispier. Some of my favourite dough recipes contain alcohol- white wine, retsina, ouzo or vinegar- these make them more crispy. You should try it

 

[Budgiekeet]

Been making a lot of pizzas lately. Latest dough is AP flour, Bread flour and durum flour. I have some High gluten flour to try next. Im about 3 batches, I think, from a final recipe. Just made an awesome homemade sauce too. I am still working on the perfect sub roll and bread loaf but I did get an awesome english muffin loaf recipe that makes the best toast ever.

 

[despoinaki]

I love bread- I made a lot of whole grain bread recently and I used 50% whole grain flour and 50% all purposes flour for our pizzas I'd love to have the english muffin loaf recipe you made though

 

[Budgiekeet]

Despina, you created a monster I have just made batch #, well I don't even know any more. I have made an awesome pizza sauce from scratch also. I might as well put a sign in my front yard and sell pizza. Pizza and fresh bread. I mada a few good loafs but not what I want yet. Although the English muffin loaf was really good. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/english-muffin-toasting-bread-recipe

Be sure to check out the blog for the recipe, the links on the page and for best results change the recipe volumes to grams