Pizza with Panache

Thursday night pizza is a tradition at our house. And this doesn't mean Domino's, you understand! A few years ago I discovered how easy it is to make homemade pizza, and I've gotten pretty spoiled since then. Sure, it takes the dough an hour to rise, but you're free to surf the net, visit with friends, or listen to a couple CDs while it's rising. In a pinch (or if you want faster pizza) you can buy pre-made dough at most grocery stores (check the deli dept) and even some pizza parlors.

It's about two hours from flour and yeast to hot pizza on the table; most of that time is spent waiting for the dough to rise and for the pizza to cook. It only takes about 20 minutes of active work for the first pizza. If you use pre-made dough, figure an hour total, or 45 minutes if you do minimal preheat on the oven.

selina's pizza

For me, kneading dough is one of the best parts of making pizza. It's a tactile and sensuous experience, not unlike giving a massage or working with clay (sure, it's hedonistic, but I love it anyway ;) Some people don't enjoy kneading dough (go figure), but for those folks we have professional mixers, bread machines, and pre-made dough. Pizza is for everybody!

Pizza tips
Best Pizza Dough
Basic Pizza Sauce
Making The Pizza
Jump to the recipes!

Pizza Tips

  • Give the oven an hour to come up to temperature. I turn it on when I make the dough. An oven that's evenly-hot makes a better pizza.

  • Don't be afraid to try new combinations of pizza toppings. Pizza was invented to feed you and your family and friends, so put your favorite ingredients on top, use up leftovers, and boldly go where no-one has gone before. Pizza accommodates picky eaters ("Just cheese for me!") as well as people who feel the more toppings the better (aka "garbage pizzas").

  • Don't put anchovies on half a pizza; I've found that people who don't like anchovies do not want those cute little fishes anywhere near the pizza they're gonna eat!

  • After the dough has risen an hour, punch the dough down and let it rise another 20 minutes. For some reason, this makes the dough easier to work with; it's more elastic, and you can toss it with true panache (high ceilings recommended).

  • Ask Santa for a pizza stone, which is a large tile disc that you put in your oven and bake the pizza on. It's not necessary, but if you get into making your own pizza you'll find that makes the crust crispier, and it makes you feel like a pro.

  • If you get a pizza stone, I'd also recommend getting a pizza peel, which is the flat wooden shovel they use to move the pizza into and out of the oven. Sprinkle a little corn meal on the peel before putting the dough on it, and you can make the pizza right on the peel, shove it in the oven, then stand back as onlookers stare open mouthed in amazement at your proficiency and cool tools!


Best Pizza Dough

This is the best recipe I've found for pizza dough. I discovered it in a pizza book this summer and I've been using it ever since. The dough has a wonderful silky texture that's easy to toss without tearing, and it makes a thin, flexible crust that tastes great. What more could you ask for? The recipe makes enough for one thin-crust pizza, double or triple to make more.

       1 tsp bulk yeast
       2 cups bread flour
       1/4 tsp salt
       1 tbs olive oil
       2/3 cup lukewarm water

Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed and the dough forms a crumbly ball. Knead for five to ten minutes, adding a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Kneading: I usually knead the dough right in bowl I'm mixing it in, tho some people prefer to knead it on a bread board, or the table. Push down on the dough with your fists, then fold it over on itself, and repeat, thinking sensuous thoughts all the while. If the dough is still sticky after all the flour is mixed in, add a little more flour. Knead the dough for about five minutes, at which point it will be smooth and elastic.

Rising, part 1: Put a couple drops of oil in a large bowl (I'm often lazy and just reuse the mixing bowl), put the ball of dough in it and flatten it out. Turn the dough over so the now-oiled side is up, and cover with a piece of wax paper (or plastic wrap). Some folks cover it with a clean towel (it lets the dough breath), but that makes for a messy towel later! Put the dough in a warm place away from drafts, for an hour. In the summer keep it out of direct sun (it will dry out), and in the winter keep it away from doors and quickly-moving people (drafts will keep it from rising). While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees (F)

Rising, part 2: After the dough has risen an hour, it will have doubled in size. The cookbooks say to "punch it down," which means to slowly push your fist into the dough, to let the air out. Let it rise a little longer (15-20 minutes), and you can go on preparing the toppings.


Basic Pizza Sauce

This is a great pizza sauce if you're making a traditional pizza and have a few extra hours before the pizza's to be made. This sauce will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerater, for this week's pizza and next weeks...

    1 TBL olive oil
    2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    1 28oz can tomato sauce or tomato puree
    1 small onion, chopped
    1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
    2 TBL oregano
    1 TBL basil
    1 to 2 TBL sugar (to taste)
    salt and pepper (to taste)

In a sauce pan, toast the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes, until the garlic just starts getting darker. Pour in the tomato sauce, and stir in the vegetables and spices. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn down the heat to low, and let simmer for an hour or two. Taste, adjust seasonings as needed.


Making The Pizza

The Crust

After the dough has risen a second time (or if you're using pre-made dough), stretch it out with your hands. If it's nice and elastic, you can play around with stretching it into a pizza shape, perhaps tossing it into the air. If it's not so elastic and breaks pretty easily (this will happen especially if there is a lot of whole wheat flour in the dough), you'll have to roll it out on with a rolling pin (no blame, this is sometimes more of an art than a science, my friend!), but rest assured that it will still taste great.

Whether you make or buy your dough, and regardless of whether you're putting it together in a pizza pan, or on a pizza peel, sprinkle some corn meal down first, to keep the dough from sticking. With a pan you can get away with using a little corn meal, but with a peel I completely cover the wood with a nice thin layer, which helps the pizza roll right off when I put it in the oven.

Some folks bake their crust for 5 minutes before they put the toppings on, which makes for a lighter crust with lots of bubbles. Other folks put toppings on the raw dough and bake the whole thing all at once. I favor the latter approach, but try the first from time to time. Remember, there are no "wrong ways," try 'em both and see which you prefer!


The Toppings

It's time to cover the dough with your favorite toppings! This is a great group event, where everyone cooperates to make the best darn pizza they can imagine. There are no right or wrong ways to do it, with one exception: if you're making a traditional pizza, put the sauce on first. Everything else goes on top of the sauce. In some camps, cheese is the last item to go on, while in other camps mushrooms, peppers and onions sit on top of the cheese. Most people go for mozzarella, but don't feel limited; try cheddar and jack cheese, or a mixture of cheeses. For a special treat, try using a little smoked cheese!


The Recipes!

Enough of my commentary. Here are some of my favorite pizza recipes. Try them out. Feel free to experiment. Play. Enjoy. Mangia!

Pesto Pizza
Traditional Pizza
Garlic Pizza
Mexican Seitan Pizza
Kale & Garlic Pizza

Pesto Pizza

This is one of the easiest pizzas to make, and one of the tastiest, assuming you like pesto (which is a wonderful mixture of garlic, basil, and parmesan cheese). I buy premade pesto at the grocery store (check the produce or deli departments), or the health food store (check the fridge). A small container costs about $5 and is enough to make 2 great tasting pizzas; whatta deal!

    2-3 oz pesto
    8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
    1 can olives (optional)

Prepare dough as above. Spread the pesto on the dough with a spatula. Sprinkle on the cheese.
Optional: Slice the olives and sprinkle them on the top.

Bake at 400 degrees 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is just turning brown.


Traditional Pizza

This is what most of the US pictures when they think of pizza. Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, whatever toppings you want. It's a good place to start, but if after a while if you find that homemade pizza is kind of flat, consider trying some of the non-traditional kinds. Life is too short to be in a pizza rut!

    12 oz tomato sauce (store bought or homemade)
    8 to 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (to taste)
    optional ingredients: onions, peppers, 
    garlic, anchovies, pepperoni, etc, etc...

Prepare dough as above. Spread the sauce on the dough with a large spoon. Sprinkle on the cheese and other ingredients.

Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is just turning brown.


Garlic Pizza

My friend Steve introduced me to garlic pizza a few years back. At first I thought he was kidding, foolishly thinking it would be too much of a good thing, BUT I WAS WRONG! Of course, you'll reek of garlic for a day, but it's great for keeping the vampires away. Big hint: If you don't love garlic, skip this pizza! Being an exessive pizza anyway, I put on extra cheese and some olives for taste and decoration.

    12 oz tomato sauce (store bought or homemade)
    6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
    16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
    1 can black olives, sliced in half

Prepare dough as above. Spread the sauce on the dough with a large spoon. Cover with the chopped garlic more or less evenly (buried treasure variation: leave little clumps of garlic and watch peoples eyes bulge when they find them!). Cover with the cheese, and decorate with the olive halves.

Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes, until the cheese begins to turn brown.


Mexican Seitan Pizza Pizza

This is a spicy vegetarian pizza, a nice change from the good 'ol traditional pizza. Seitan is made from gluten (same stuff you're making when you knead dough!) and has this wonderfully chewy texture; you'll find it in health food stores.

I got this recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home (ISBN: 0-671-87954-5), a cookbook I highly recommend.

    1 cup chopped onion
    3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    2 TBL olive oil
    1/2 medium green pepper
    1/2 lb seitan
    1 TBL chili powder
    1/2 tsp oregano
    1/2 tsp basil
    1 tsp soy sauce
    1 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
    1 cup chopped tomatoes
    salt or soy sauce to taste

Saute the onions and garlic in oil for a few minutes over medium heat, til the onions are soft. Add chopped pepper. Chop the seitan into small chunks and stir in, along with the spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick. Reduce heat to simmer, and add the tomatoes; simmer for five minutes or more, then add more soy sauce if needed.

Prepare dough as above. Spread the seitan evenly over the dough with a large spoon.

Bake at 400 degrees about 15 minutes.


Kale & Garlic Pizza

This is another tasty vegetarian pizza, a good change of pace from the usual fare. Kale is a strong tasting green vegetable, not used too much in American cooking. You can find it in most produce departments.

    3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    2 TBL olive oil
    1 small onion
    4 cups chopped kale
    soy sauce to taste
    4 oz smoked cheese, grated

Saute the onions and garlic in oil for a few minutes over medium heat. Add the kale, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add soy sauce to taste.

Prepare dough as above. Spread the cooked kale mixture evenly over the dough with a large spoon. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake at 400 degrees about 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.


This page last modified Aug 23, 1999