Homemade Pizzas and Sauce by David & Anna Russell Home made pizzas aren’t as daunting as they may seem. You need to allow time for the dough to rise, however, so we recommend getting it started in the morning so you’re ready to go at dinner time. This dough produces a thin style crust but one which still has a bit of soft chew to it. Our family’s favourite way to cook homemade pizzas is on the barbecue. The smokey flavour is great with this style crust. Dough (makes three 12 inch pizza crusts) 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 ¼ cups warm tap water 5 tsp yeast 1 TBS granulated sugar 1 TBS salt 3 TBS olive oil Pizza Sauce (makes enough for roughly 4 - 6 pizzas; refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months) 1 regular (15 oz) can tomato sauce 1 small can tomato paste 1 tsp dried oregano ½ tsp each garlic powder, salt, and pepper Favourite Toppings Cornmeal Pizza Stone and Pizza Peel (aka paddle) or Pizza Pans (the kind with round holes) Dough Preparation: Add sugar and yeast to the warm water and stir to dissolve. Let it proof until a foam begins to develop. Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl; add salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the proofed yeast slurry and mix with your hands to incorporate very well. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly; don’t overwork the dough. For those familiar with dough, this is a slightly wet dough. It should be soft and sticky enough to pull excess dough off of your hands, but not too dry. Add water or flour as needed to achieve that consistency. Flour is influenced tremendously by the relative humidity in the air, so don’t be concerned if your flour to water ratio is a bit different or changes with the seasons. Form the dough into a ball and return to the mixing bowl; rub the top with the remaining olive oil. Cover bowl lightly with a tea towel and set in a warm, but not hot place to proof for 1 - 2 hours. When the dough has risen and roughly doubled in size, punch it down and allow to rise again; it will rise more quickly the second time around. The amount of time it takes to rise will depend on the relative temperature and activation of the yeast. A watched dough ball never rises! Go off to the store and buy your favourite pizza toppings. Pizza Sauce: Mix all ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth. If making ahead, keep in the fridge until ready to use. Cooking the Pizza: Place a pizza stone or bread stone in the oven or on the barbecue; preheat to 500°F/260°C. After the dough has risen the second time, divide it into three equal 1 lb balls. You can estimate the sizes or use a scale to measure them off. Roll one ball out at a time on a floured surface. I prefer rolling my dough but feel free to give a tossed crust a try. If using pizza pans, stretch the dough out onto the pan and trim or roll the excess from the edges so it doesn’t hang over. If not using a pan, sprinkle a wooden pizza peel or paddle with a bit of cornmeal - it helps your crust to slide off with ease as though it were on top of mini ball bearings. Stretch your crust out onto the paddle. Spread the dough with pizza sauce and top with your favourite toppers. Slide pizza [with pan or directly, if not using a pan] onto the stone and cook at the high temperature for 5 mins or less, peeking under the crust to check the colour frequently. Remove from the oven or barbecue with the paddle and place on a board to cool while you prepare the next pizza on top of the paddle. Slice and enjoy, but watch out - you’ll be temped to dig in before they’re cool and risk burning the roof of mouth! RETURN TO THE RECIPES PRINTABLE

Homemade Pizza & Sauce

Homemade Pizzas and Sauce

by David & Anna Russell

Home made pizzas aren’t as daunting as they may seem. You need to allow time for the dough to rise, however, so we recommend getting it started in the morning so you’re ready to go at dinner time. This dough produces a thin style crust but one which still has a bit of soft chew to it. Our family’s favourite way to cook homemade pizzas is on the barbecue. The smokey flavour is great with this style crust.

Dough (makes three 12 inch pizza crusts)

•3 cups all-purpose flour
•1 ¼ cups warm tap water
•5 tsp yeast
•1 TBS granulated sugar
•1 TBS salt
•3 TBS olive oil

Pizza Sauce (makes enough for roughly 4 - 6 pizzas; refrigerate for up to a

week or freeze for up to 3 months)

•1 regular (15 oz) can tomato sauce
•1 small can tomato paste
•1 tsp dried oregano
•½ tsp each garlic powder, salt, and pepper

Favourite Toppings

Cornmeal

Pizza Stone and Pizza Peel (aka paddle) or Pizza Pans (the kind with round holes)

Dough Preparation:

Add sugar and yeast to the warm water and stir to dissolve. Let it

proof until a foam begins to develop. Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl; add salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the proofed yeast slurry and mix with your hands to incorporate very well.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly; don’t overwork the dough. For those familiar with dough, this is a slightly wet dough. It should be soft and sticky enough to pull excess dough off of your hands, but not too dry. Add water or flour as needed to achieve that consistency. Flour is influenced tremendously by the relative humidity in the air, so don’t be concerned if your flour to water ratio is a bit different or changes with the seasons.

Form the dough into a ball and return to the mixing bowl; rub the top with the remaining olive oil. Cover bowl lightly with a tea towel and set in a warm, but not hot place to proof for 1 - 2 hours. When the dough has risen and roughly doubled in size, punch it down and allow to rise again; it will rise more quickly the second time around. The amount of time it takes to rise will depend on the relative temperature and activation of the yeast. A watched dough ball never rises! Go off to the store and buy your favourite pizza toppings.

Pizza Sauce:

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth.

If making ahead, keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Cooking the Pizza:

Place a pizza stone or bread stone in the oven or on the barbecue; preheat to 500°F/260°C.

After the dough has risen the second time, divide it into three equal 1 lb balls. You can estimate the sizes or use a scale to measure them off. Roll one ball out at a time on a floured surface. I prefer rolling my dough but feel free to give a tossed crust a try. If using pizza pans, stretch the dough out onto the pan and trim or roll the excess from the edges so it doesn’t hang over. If not using a pan, sprinkle a wooden pizza peel or paddle with a bit of cornmeal - it helps your crust to slide off with ease as though it were on top of mini ball bearings. Stretch your crust out onto the paddle. Spread the dough with pizza sauce and top with your favourite toppers.

Slide pizza [with pan or directly, if not using a pan] onto the stone and cook at the high temperature for 5 mins or less, peeking under the crust to check the colour frequently. Remove from the oven or barbecue with the paddle and place on a board to cool while you prepare the next pizza on top of the paddle.

Slice and enjoy, but watch out - you’ll be temped to dig in before they’re cool and risk burning the roof of mouth!

RETURN TO THE RECIPES

PRINTABLE - HOMEMADE PIZZAS.pdf

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