I previously posted a recipe for pizza dough... here is a simple favorite... Fresh and delicious!
Yield= equivalent of one 12inch round pizza (no, my pizza is not "round"... its "rustic")
Ingredients:
- Pizza Dough
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Basil
- Fresh Tomatoes (wedged)
- Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (sliced thin)
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese
- Red Onion (thinly sliced)
-Fresh Arugula
Directions:
Stretch your dough...
-At room temperature make sure your dough is in a ball (a little larger than fist size)
-Lightly coat your hands and pizza pale (or cutting board) with flour
-Place the dough in the center of the pale, then gently push your fists into it
-Stretch out lightly with your knuckles and fingers (be careful not to punch holes in the dough) the dough is your friend! The gluten in the dough will allow it to stretch naturally with a little love. Don't resort to the rolling pin. Get acquainted with your dough and I promise you the end result will be worth all the work!
-Once the dough begins to form a flat circle, lightly pick up the dough with your fingertips and continue stretching the rim of the dough.
- Make sure your pale is well floured and continue compressing and stretching the dough with your fingertips.
- Once your dough has reached a thickness of 1/4 inch or less let the dough rest and prepare your ingredients.
Preparing your pizza
-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, with a pizza stone, or upside down sheet pan in it
-Place your toppings on the pizza tomatoes first (for a pizza without tomato sauce I like to
drizzle some olive oil on the dough before the toppings)
-Sprinkle some corn starch on your preheated cooking surface then transfer your pizza from the
pale to the heated surface, and bake until cheese is melted and the crust is at desired crispiness.
-I usually cook between 5-10 minutes depending on the oven.
-Remove from the oven when ready, and brush a light coat of olive oil on the exposed crust
-Add a nice heap of arugula on top of the pizza, drizzle olive oil salt and pepper on top, cut and
serve!
With any luck you should have something that looks like this
