Homemade Pizza

I expect that everyone has a version of homemade pizza which they make regularly, but we've fallen into this particular variant recently (called "Puffaroni" by Gwendolyn because the crust gets so fluffy), and we've all been loving it.

Basic Dough:

olive oil
4 cups bread flour
1 1/3 tsp quick-rise yeast
2/3 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup water, 110 degrees F

Mix the dry ingredients, then add the lukewarm water to the mixture (a mixer with a dough hook or paddle attachment is useful). Once you have a shaggy mass, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it lightly; it will remain somewhat sticky. Place in a bowl which you have greased with the olive oil, turning the dough to grease its sides, and let it warm until doubled, around 45 minutes.

Whole Wheat Dough:

1 2/3 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
scant 2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp bread machine yeast

We allow this recipe to mix in our bread machine on the dough setting, which provides it with a great environment for the yeast to rise, but I suppose that it could also be made by hand.

In either case, the risen dough should be divided in two equal portions, which can be shaped into rounds, tossed or rolled flat (allowing several minutes between sessions for the dough to relax), and shaped or placed on a round pizza pan. Allowing the dough time to rise after it's been shaped makes a big difference in the final results, we've found. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 or 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, as we do, place it on the lower rack and allow it to heat as well.

A friend in Boston taught me a handy way of cooking pizzas. Matt would par-bake the crusts with the sauce for half the cooking time, then would add the toppings and return it to the oven. So when the oven is ready, we spread bottled marinara sauce (we prefer Barilla tomato and basil) over the dough and place it in the oven for six to seven minutes while we prepare the other crust.

After taking the partially-baked crust from the oven, I brush some creamy salad dressing (something like Girard's Caesar) around the outer edge and sprinkle parmesan cheese on it to give the crust a little flavor, but this can be skipped in the interest of diet or health. We generally improvise the rest, but we tend to include grated mozzarella, some herbs or spices (fresh black pepper, dried thyme, shallot pepper, or whatever's on hand), and whatever the family likes. The pizza is then returned to the oven for another six or seven minutes, and after cooling for a few minutes, it's ready to be devoured.

Where toppings are concerned, we tend to keep some pepperoni in the freezer for the children, but Jen and I prefer vegetable pizzas. Our last foray included a fresh tomato/artichoke heart pizza and a spinach/artichoke pizza which I found particularly irresistible. In case you're interested in trying it, here's the recipe for the artichoke hearts:

1 Tbsp olive oil
9 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and roughly chopped
2 shallots, minced
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt

Heat the oil over medium, and add the minced shallots when heated, cooking until soft and translucent. (Can I also mention the love affair I've been having with shallots since I started cooking with them last year? -- they're incredible. Nero Wolfe would be proud.) Add the artichokes, lemon juice, water, and salt, then cover. Cook for an additional 5 or 6 minutes until the artichokes are tender, then uncover and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated. Let cool. (If you're also adding spinach, just cook it in boiling water for 2 minutes, then shock it in cool water and press it hard to drain the water. Roughly chop it before adding it to the pizza, and enjoy.)