About a year ago I started couponing/stockpiling to save money. Through that, we learned that food from scratch is WAY better than the packaged stuff. Sure I can probably wait and stock up on frozen pizzas when they get cheap but even cheaper and fresher is to stock up on flour, tomato paste, shredded Tillamook cheese and spices when they're cheap. That means our pizza is fresh (yes, the tomato paste isn't technically fresh but it isn't full of preservatives either) every Sunday. Today I'm going to share my recipe and how I go about it.
At some point on Sunday, at least 2 hours before we're going to have dinner is ideal, I make the dough. I use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook but you can also use a food processor then knead it by hand or go completely old fashioned and do the whole thing by hand.
Dough - Makes one 13-inch thick crust pizza
Ingredients:1 cup of warm water
2 tsp of active yeast
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
3 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp of coarse salt
A dab of olive oil for a glass mixing bowl
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. While that's dissolving, add the flour and salt to the mixer and give it a few spins to get them combined. Add the olive oil to the water. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the water/yeast/oil mixture to the flour/salt. Let the mixer knead the dough with the dough hook for 10 minutes. While that's mixing, prepare a large glass mixing bowl by rubbing olive oil around inside to coat all the sides. Transfer the dough in a ball to the bowl. Cover with a warm wet towel or plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise. I like to put it in my oven with the light on. This seems to provide just enough warm to make it happy.
Sauce - Makes enough for 2 pizzas
Ingredients:
1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
3 ounces of water (give or take, I just fill the paste can half wayish and call it done)
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp salt
Put it all in a bowl (I use a food storage container) and mix until it is all combined. Cover it and put it in the fridge until the dough is ready. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.
Pulling it all together
Fast forward to the end of the day, about an hour before you're ready to eat. Take the pizza dough out and knead it a few times on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a pizza shape (I roll it vaguely circular then manipulate it on my pan tugging and pushing and poking it into a circle) and place it on your favorite pizza pan or a cookie sheet. Using a fork, poke lots of little holes all over it, this helps with air bubbles during baking. At this point it is best to let it rise a bit again, if you don't have time, you can skip this step but your dough won't be as fluffy. Put it in a warm place and leave it alone until about 20 minutes before you want your pizza to come out of the oven.
About 20 minutes before you want your pizza finished, turn the oven on to 325. Cover the dough with 1/2 of the sauce you prepared earlier. Sprinkle with your favorite cheese. We stop there but you can add other toppings as well of course. Turn the oven up to 475 and immediately put the pizza in there for 12 minutes, checking on it after about 10 to stop it when the cheese is as cooked as you like it. When it looks finished, take it out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes still on the hot pan.
That was some good pizza tonight! The three of us ate just over 1/2 of the pizza tonight and it totally hit the spot. Happy dining!
Thank you for reading,
Cooking with Spanish products adds a rich and authentic flavor to dishes. From flavorful olive oils to exquisite saffron, Spain's culinary treasures elevate the art of cooking to a delightful experience.
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