Recipes and Such

I'm most happy to share my pizza recipe though it's a simple margherita pizza. I'm not exactly sure where I picked up this particular pizza dough recipe. A few years ago I found and purchased several of the "cookbooks" pictured above. They are blank books with pages for your favorite appetizers, breads, salads, entrees, etc.. I gave them as Christmas gifts to several of my sisters and sister-in-laws. I'm not so sure they appreciated them as much as I have appreciated mine. I copy my favorite recipes into this little book. Unfortunately, it looks like I've forgotten to credit where my pizza dough came from. Anyway, here is the recipe I use for pizza dough. Mind you, it's a thin crust. I love a thin crust and work hard to produce the perfect thin crust pizza.


In a non-reactive bowl combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, one packet of dry yeast and 1.5 cups of warm (105-115 F) water. Let this sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a heavy duty mixer bowl mix up 3 1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of bread flour and 1 tablespoon salt. I use kosher salt mostly but use seasoned sea salt on occasion. Whisk these dry ingredients together.

Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the yeast mixture. Now add the oil and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and using the dough hook, knead on low speed for 10 minutes.

You may have to add more flour. I often need to. You should be able to hear the dough "slapping" on the mixing bowl by the end of the 10 minutes of kneading. If the dough is still sticking to the sides of the bowl, you need to add more flour. I start adding flour 1/4 tablespoon at a time and keep adding until the dough is slapping against a clean sided bowl. The dough will be somewhat sticky when done.

Now place your dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a floured cloth or plastic wrap, set in a warm place and let rise - I don't know exactly - but until 'done', about an 1.5 - 2 hours.

Punch the dough down. At this point I divide it into 4 pieces and freeze 3 of the pieces. Depending on the size of your family, you might want to use the whole works for one or several pizzas for a single meal.

To freeze the dough I simply place the pieces into their own plastic bags. Take out a dough piece the morning you intend to use it. Place it into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise through the day. Use that evening.

For the dough you are using the day you make it, simply brush the dough with a little olive oil and let rise again, about another hour or until ready to use.

I place my pizza stone in the oven when ready to bake and pre-heat to 525 F.

Roll out the pizza dough as thin as possible on a peel sprinkled with flour and corn meal. I recently read somewhere - can't remember where - to roll out the dough as thin as you can, then let it rest about 5 minutes. Now it will roll out even thinner. This little hint has worked for me.

A marghertia pizza is just tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, kosher salt and fresh basil.

Chop or slice your tomatoes, slice the mozzarella thin and place the tomatoes and cheese around the pizza. Add oil olive. I've learned at this point not to add as much olive oil as you will eventually want on your pizza (I like lots) or else it won't come off the pizza peel neatly. You can add more olive oil as soon as you take the pizza out of the oven. Sprinke your pizza with kosher salt or seasoned sea salt.

Bake the pizza about 8-10 minutes or until crust and cheese is a nice golden brown.

Chiffonade fresh basil while the pizza is baking. Sprinkle the basil and any additional olive oil you desire over the pizza as soon as you remove it from the oven.

It's really nothing too fancy. Just one of my favorite meals.