Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Pizza Lesson
Making your own pizza is an art. When you make it yourself, not only is it cheaper, it tastes better. You can put all your favorites on it.
First we'll make the grocery list:
...Dough: You can use anything for this. The box mix, package mix, or even the frozen bread you find in the freezer aisle. Remember, if you use the frozen dough make sure to use the slow thaw method. It tastes better, it's simpler to do, and handles better.
...Sauce: I use spaghetti sauce. The five brothers brand. It's more expensive, but it makes your pizza taste better. If you buy the cheap brands they can ruin your pizza. Get your favorite flavor, you won't use much and you can use the leftover sauce for spaghetti. 2 dinners for one jar!
...Toppings: Use whatever you want! This is what makes it great. I use fresh veggies for mine. It tastes better and it's not really more expensive, as you only use a small amount for one pizza. Remember that when buying them, you are going to have all your favorites so you don't need as much as you would think. I use several different meats. Bacon, homemade sausage, hamburger, canadian bacon...you get the idea. Homemade sausage only means that it's ground pork...there is no seasonings in it.
...Olive oil: I use extra virgin. You'll only need a very small amount. I keep it on hand in my kitchen, it's healthier than regular oil for frying and doesn't actually flavor fried meats.
...Oregano: No don't use Italian seasonings. You never know what you get with it. Make sure it's fairly fresh. After about a month opened in your cabinet the ground oregano will taste like dirt. This one is key to make it taste like pizza.
...Salt and pepper
...Cheese: Notice I didn't say mozzarella. You can use whatever you want. I use a mixture. Sometimes it's the kraft 4-cheese mix. It has romano, parmesan, mozzarella and something else. Sometimes we also use a monterey jack/cheddar mix.
Well, now we have our stuff. You want to prepare the dough. If you're using frozen or homemade dough, remember to let it rise. I like to bake mine around 375°F. Follow the package directions if you like. It's all in how crispy you want the crust. Just remember to preheat the oven.
Cook all your meats. Make sure they are done. Yes, you can put raw meat on your pizza and cook it that way. However, you are taking the chance that it'll be greasy and make your dough soggy. If you're using bacon, only cook it to barely done. Otherwise you'll end up with blackish bacon. Unless of course you like your bacon like that.
While the meats are cooking, chop all your veggies. Make sure they are either thin slices or small dices. This allows the veggies to cook through, while they flavour the entire pizza also. If you are making 2 so that you don't have onion or something like that on yours...don't bake them together. The flavor will transfer.
Once all that is done and your dough has risen, it's time to play a little. Some people like to roll the dough out into a circle or what-have-you. I don't do that. Let's not kid ourselves, it's near impossible to roll the dough into a perfect circle or rectangle to fit the pan exactly. There is an easier way. Lightly spray your pan with oil. I use olive oil spray. They sell it in the grocery aisle just about anywhere. Set your dough into the pan. Yep, just plop it right on there. Spray your hands with the oil to grease them up. Now you will gently push from the center outwards. Trying to keep the thickness even. It takes only a small amount of patience. Now we have our dough on the pan. No...don't precook it. I don't care what the package says. It makes your pizza soggy. My hubby does this, and every time it's soggy. Now we will put a small amount of olive oil on top of the dough. We want only a very thin layer. I know, it just makes it taste better. We do the same with the pizza sauce. Now we only want a thin layer...any more and it'll get soggy. Now we 'season' our pizza. You'll sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano over the sauce. Time for the toppings! Put them on however you like. Then comes the cheese. What works best for me is to start a little away from the edge and pile it. Then gently push toward the edge. This allows me to have sauce, toppings, and cheese all the way to the very edge of my pizza with little or no mess. You can put however much cheese on you like. you can put the cheese on before the toppings, but it's not as good that way. Usually it only takes a 12oz bag of shredded cheese, whatever the size is that's larger than the 8oz. One last thing to do before you cook it. Season the cheese. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and oregano over it one last time. It flavors the pizza. If you don't the pizza can taste rather plain. As long as you sprinkle, it'll only enhance the flavor, it won't overpower it.
Bake at whatever temperature you chose. At 375°F it usually takes around 20 minutes. It all depends on how much is on it, and the type of pan. Depending also on the thickness of the dough. It's done when the cheese is melted. Also, use a spatula to lift and see the center underneath the pizza. You'll see it golden brown when it's done. Cut and eat it when it's done. Use parmesan on the top if you like, you won't really need it. Just depends on whether or not you like it.
Have fun making your own! Kids really like this also. Using smaller pans or just making small circles and placing on a cookie sheet can be an activity for a party.
First we'll make the grocery list:
...Dough: You can use anything for this. The box mix, package mix, or even the frozen bread you find in the freezer aisle. Remember, if you use the frozen dough make sure to use the slow thaw method. It tastes better, it's simpler to do, and handles better.
...Sauce: I use spaghetti sauce. The five brothers brand. It's more expensive, but it makes your pizza taste better. If you buy the cheap brands they can ruin your pizza. Get your favorite flavor, you won't use much and you can use the leftover sauce for spaghetti. 2 dinners for one jar!
...Toppings: Use whatever you want! This is what makes it great. I use fresh veggies for mine. It tastes better and it's not really more expensive, as you only use a small amount for one pizza. Remember that when buying them, you are going to have all your favorites so you don't need as much as you would think. I use several different meats. Bacon, homemade sausage, hamburger, canadian bacon...you get the idea. Homemade sausage only means that it's ground pork...there is no seasonings in it.
...Olive oil: I use extra virgin. You'll only need a very small amount. I keep it on hand in my kitchen, it's healthier than regular oil for frying and doesn't actually flavor fried meats.
...Oregano: No don't use Italian seasonings. You never know what you get with it. Make sure it's fairly fresh. After about a month opened in your cabinet the ground oregano will taste like dirt. This one is key to make it taste like pizza.
...Salt and pepper
...Cheese: Notice I didn't say mozzarella. You can use whatever you want. I use a mixture. Sometimes it's the kraft 4-cheese mix. It has romano, parmesan, mozzarella and something else. Sometimes we also use a monterey jack/cheddar mix.
Well, now we have our stuff. You want to prepare the dough. If you're using frozen or homemade dough, remember to let it rise. I like to bake mine around 375°F. Follow the package directions if you like. It's all in how crispy you want the crust. Just remember to preheat the oven.
Cook all your meats. Make sure they are done. Yes, you can put raw meat on your pizza and cook it that way. However, you are taking the chance that it'll be greasy and make your dough soggy. If you're using bacon, only cook it to barely done. Otherwise you'll end up with blackish bacon. Unless of course you like your bacon like that.
While the meats are cooking, chop all your veggies. Make sure they are either thin slices or small dices. This allows the veggies to cook through, while they flavour the entire pizza also. If you are making 2 so that you don't have onion or something like that on yours...don't bake them together. The flavor will transfer.
Once all that is done and your dough has risen, it's time to play a little. Some people like to roll the dough out into a circle or what-have-you. I don't do that. Let's not kid ourselves, it's near impossible to roll the dough into a perfect circle or rectangle to fit the pan exactly. There is an easier way. Lightly spray your pan with oil. I use olive oil spray. They sell it in the grocery aisle just about anywhere. Set your dough into the pan. Yep, just plop it right on there. Spray your hands with the oil to grease them up. Now you will gently push from the center outwards. Trying to keep the thickness even. It takes only a small amount of patience. Now we have our dough on the pan. No...don't precook it. I don't care what the package says. It makes your pizza soggy. My hubby does this, and every time it's soggy. Now we will put a small amount of olive oil on top of the dough. We want only a very thin layer. I know, it just makes it taste better. We do the same with the pizza sauce. Now we only want a thin layer...any more and it'll get soggy. Now we 'season' our pizza. You'll sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano over the sauce. Time for the toppings! Put them on however you like. Then comes the cheese. What works best for me is to start a little away from the edge and pile it. Then gently push toward the edge. This allows me to have sauce, toppings, and cheese all the way to the very edge of my pizza with little or no mess. You can put however much cheese on you like. you can put the cheese on before the toppings, but it's not as good that way. Usually it only takes a 12oz bag of shredded cheese, whatever the size is that's larger than the 8oz. One last thing to do before you cook it. Season the cheese. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and oregano over it one last time. It flavors the pizza. If you don't the pizza can taste rather plain. As long as you sprinkle, it'll only enhance the flavor, it won't overpower it.
Bake at whatever temperature you chose. At 375°F it usually takes around 20 minutes. It all depends on how much is on it, and the type of pan. Depending also on the thickness of the dough. It's done when the cheese is melted. Also, use a spatula to lift and see the center underneath the pizza. You'll see it golden brown when it's done. Cut and eat it when it's done. Use parmesan on the top if you like, you won't really need it. Just depends on whether or not you like it.
Have fun making your own! Kids really like this also. Using smaller pans or just making small circles and placing on a cookie sheet can be an activity for a party.
