This is my first post, so why not start with one of my all time favorites- Pizza ?
When I was only a year or two out of college, I was sharing an apartment with one of my best girlfriends, and we made homemade Pizza at least once per week. It was easy to make, affordable, and soooo good. Here is an updated thin crust version of our favorite comfort food.
Rustic Thin Crust Pizza
Pizza Dough:
1 packet (or approx. 1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water as needed (110 degrees according to Betty Crocker)
Preheat Oven to 500 f.
In terms of this 110 degree water... I normally just turn my faucet as hot as it goes and use water just hot enough to touch without discomfort. Add the warm water to the yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl, and stir until dissolved. Add flour and salt to the yeast mixture and knead on a floured surface for 2 minutes. Add flour or water as needed to gain proper consistency. Roll the dough on a cutting board or flat surface as thin as you prefer. I never end up with a round pizza, it is usually closer to an oval or rectangle, but never perfect. Place dough on greased baking tray, pizza stone, or grill. Bake for 2 minutes, remove from oven, add toppings, then bake for an additional 6-10 minutes.
Now... my favorite part of Pizza would have to be the endless number of potential topping combinations. Our absolute favorite is Fig & Prosciutto.
Fig & Onion Jam with Prosciutto and Blue Cheese
1 vidalia onion
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
6-8 figs
1 package crumbled blue cheese
1/4 lb-1/2 lb very thinly sliced prosciutto ham
You can create a jam from scratch or purchase one (try Stonewall Kitchen's onion jam if you are not big on figs). It is very simple to make your own "jam". You can create this jam in less than 20 minutes, plus you can double the recipe and make some to set aside for the next time.
In a sauce pan, I add 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 medium vidalia onion sliced into thin crescents, and 1 clove of minced garlic. Stir the garlic and onions while they saute until the onions are becoming translucent. Add 6-8 figs finely chopped, to the onions and garlic, then slowly add 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup of brown sugar to this mixture as it cooks on low heat to form a jammy consistency.
Once you have the fig&onion jam, spread this on the pizza dough after it has baked for 2 minutes. On top of the jam sprinkle the blue cheese, and top with as much prosciutto as you like. Then bake for the remaining time.
Other favorite topping ideas include:
-flavored chicken sausages, arugula, and alfredo sauce
-spicy Italian sausage with red sauce and sweet orange and red bell peppers
-smoked pepperoni and parmesan
When I was only a year or two out of college, I was sharing an apartment with one of my best girlfriends, and we made homemade Pizza at least once per week. It was easy to make, affordable, and soooo good. Here is an updated thin crust version of our favorite comfort food.
Rustic Thin Crust Pizza
Pizza Dough:
1 packet (or approx. 1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water as needed (110 degrees according to Betty Crocker)
Preheat Oven to 500 f.
In terms of this 110 degree water... I normally just turn my faucet as hot as it goes and use water just hot enough to touch without discomfort. Add the warm water to the yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl, and stir until dissolved. Add flour and salt to the yeast mixture and knead on a floured surface for 2 minutes. Add flour or water as needed to gain proper consistency. Roll the dough on a cutting board or flat surface as thin as you prefer. I never end up with a round pizza, it is usually closer to an oval or rectangle, but never perfect. Place dough on greased baking tray, pizza stone, or grill. Bake for 2 minutes, remove from oven, add toppings, then bake for an additional 6-10 minutes.
Now... my favorite part of Pizza would have to be the endless number of potential topping combinations. Our absolute favorite is Fig & Prosciutto.
Fig & Onion Jam with Prosciutto and Blue Cheese
1 vidalia onion
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
6-8 figs
1 package crumbled blue cheese
1/4 lb-1/2 lb very thinly sliced prosciutto ham
You can create a jam from scratch or purchase one (try Stonewall Kitchen's onion jam if you are not big on figs). It is very simple to make your own "jam". You can create this jam in less than 20 minutes, plus you can double the recipe and make some to set aside for the next time.
In a sauce pan, I add 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 medium vidalia onion sliced into thin crescents, and 1 clove of minced garlic. Stir the garlic and onions while they saute until the onions are becoming translucent. Add 6-8 figs finely chopped, to the onions and garlic, then slowly add 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup of brown sugar to this mixture as it cooks on low heat to form a jammy consistency.
Once you have the fig&onion jam, spread this on the pizza dough after it has baked for 2 minutes. On top of the jam sprinkle the blue cheese, and top with as much prosciutto as you like. Then bake for the remaining time.
Other favorite topping ideas include:
-flavored chicken sausages, arugula, and alfredo sauce
-spicy Italian sausage with red sauce and sweet orange and red bell peppers
-smoked pepperoni and parmesan
Ricky and I made a version of this last weekend that was delicious.
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