Deep Dish Pizza

For my youngest son's birthday this past June we offered to take him out for pizza on his birthday proper, his only request was that we go to San Ramon for the pizza (he was born in San Ramon).  In discussing our plans with some of the mother's of his classmates/party goers we received a 100% agreement that HAD to go to Zachary's in San Ramon. Zachary's serves a Chicago style pizza.  Now, I must admit that I have always been a New York style pizza girl myself, but DAMN this pizza was good.  What struck me most were the tomatoes which topped the pizza.  

We've since been back to Zachary's again and we will go several thousands more times before all is said and done, but y'all know me.  I can't walk away from a good meal without thinking, could I make that at home.  

I did a lot of research but I could not find what I thought would even come close to Zachary's when it hit me: King Arthur Flour!  'Come on Amy', I said to myself, 'you go to their site first when you are looking for any kind of bread recipe and what is at the foundation of a pizza, but bread.' I instantly found this recipe, Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza.  I've made this recipe twice now and boy-howdy is it tasty.  I made two pizzas using 9-inch round baking dishes, one for the boys and one for the grown ups, but the original recipe is for one large pizza.  I also omitted the sugar from the tomatoes and I opted not add any salt to the tomatoes. 

The Ingredients

the crust

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

2 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast

 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

the filling

3/4 lbs mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly

1 lb of white mushrooms, sliced 

1 can sliced black olives, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon capers

2-14.5 ounce cans no salt added diced tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

for the pans

4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

the tools 

large mixing bowl

plastic wrap 

2 9-inch round baking pans

rack

spatula or large turner

the cooking

In the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the dough ingredients.  The King Arthur recipe has instructions of hand mixing and for using a food processor and probably even for a bread machine, because King Arthur Flour is fabulous like that.  

Mix on low speed for about 8 minutes of until the dough forms a lovely elastic ball.

 Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm location to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

 The dough should double in size. 

Roll or stretch the dough into a circle big enough for your 9-inch round baking pans

Coat the two round baking pans with 2 tablespoons each of vegetable or olive oil.  Swirl it around and make sure the the oil goes up the side of the baking pan.

Place the dough into the pans and push or press it out to cover the bottom and the side of the pans.Cover the let the dough rest for 15 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425° while the dough rests.

  A well rested dough! Place the well rested dough in the oven and allow it to bake for 10 minutes or until it sets and is lightly brown. While it is baking prepare your filling. 

Drain the tomatoes and mix them together with the garlic, oregano, and basil. Also take this time to saute any veggies you are also using as filling.  

The pre-baked crust.  

Top the crust with the sauteed vegetable

Then top with the tomatoes (someone remind me to clean that toaster)

Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until the filling it bubbling and the crust is a lovely golden brown.

The finished product, but here is the scariest step EVER.  You are going to need to remove it from this pan and get it on that rack.  I need both hands for this step and I have no one else to help me cook or photograph, or I would have shared step by step instructions on getting the pizza out of pan without tears.  Basically I place a large turner/spatula under the edge of the pizza and gently lifted it out.  Don't panic, if I can do it anyone can do it!

 See! I did it!  Now let the pizza cool on the rack for 15 minutes

Slice it up and serve it warm!

Recipe Source www.kingarthurflour.com

This is for two 9-inch pizzas, one serving is 1/4 of an 9-inch round.  It;s high, but you will fill up on one serving.
Calories 457
Protein 15 grams
Fat 23 grams
Sodium 732 grams
Fiber 3 grams
Potassium 173 grams 

Spinach and Garlic Stromboli

I am forever looking for new things to serve for dinner.  A Stromboli is something typically made with meat or meat slices, but I wanted to make a vegetarian version.  One could easily make this recipe vegan by using a vegan cheese.  

I used the pizza crust recipe that I use for my calzones and for my homemade pizza.  You can use any pizza dough that makes enough for two pizzas or you can use a refrigerated dough or a mix if you so desire. 

I made these rolls in advance, stuck them in the refrigerator, ran out to pick up a kid and came back and baked them up.  You can't beat that with a stick.  Well, you could but then you'd have to clean it up, so don't.

The Ingredients

 pizza dough enough for two pizzas, or refrigerated dough

6 slices mozzarella cheese

10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

egg white

marinara sauce 

 Preheat the oven to 375°. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle-ish shape.  Top this with the cheese, spinach and garlic.  Salt and pepper to taste.

 Roll it up like you would a roulade.

Place the strombolis onto a prepared baking dish or a pizza stone and brush them with the egg white.

Bake for 20 minutes

recipe source: my brain!

Taco Pizza

This recipe was created as an attempt to combine my oldest sons two favorite dishes: pizza and tacos.   I think I did a pretty good job.  I used refrigerator biscuits (hence forth known as bonk biscuits) for this recipe, but one could easily make and use their own homemade biscuits.  I do not routinely use bonk biscuits, however there are times when they are a big help.  This recipe and Monkey bread being two such times.

1 can (about 8 biscuits) refrigerated flaky biscuits
1 can of black beans
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
1/3 cup chunky salsa
4 tablespoons sliced black olives
3 ounces shredded Mexican Cheese

1. Heat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Open the dough and separate the biscuits, then press them down until they are wider. 
2. Heat the black beans in a small saucepan.  Season with the chili powder, cumin and chipotle.  Using a slotted spoon ladle half the beans into a blender and puree until smooth.  Add some of the liquid from the beans or water to achieve the consistency of a dip.  Using and off-self spatula spread the pureed black beans onto the biscuits. 
3. On top of the beans, add a layer of salsa, followed by cheese and then the olives. 
4. Bake the pizzas for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the biscuits are lightly browned. 

Cheese Calzones

I used my basic pizza dough for this recipe and created a filling based loosely on a standard lasagna filling.  Of course I served it with my marinara sauce.

1 recipe pizza dough (enough for two pizza crusts)
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 ground pepper

1. Prepare the pizza dough as instructed, after the second rising, divide the dough into four equal portions and roll out into four circles.  Set aside.  Combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, salt, basil, oregano, and pepper.  Place 1/4 of the filling into each disc, fold over and seal but pinching shut the edges.  
2. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  
3. Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy

French Bread Pizza

1 loaf of french bread from your grocer's bakery

olive oil

1/2 recipe of my Basic Marinara Sauce

1 cup mozzerella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Move oven rack to the lower middle position (this is assuming that you oven has four rack positions, like mine) and preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Cut your french bread in half and slice each half lengthwise, as if making a sandwich. Brush each section with olive oil. Top with sauce, mozzerella and Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is crisp and the cheese is a slightly browned.
4. Enjoy!

English Muffin Pizzas

I am sure that this is not a new recipe to anyone, but it is one of those fun recipes that my sons love.

8 pre-sliced english muffins

1/4 of this pizza sauce recipe

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Move oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat your oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
2. Fork split or slice your muffins and lay your muffin halves cut side up.
3. Top each muffin half with sauce and then cheese.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasted.

Homemade Pizza

Yup! You got that right. Homemade pizza and I mean it, even the crust. this crust recipe makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. The sauce recipe is actually enough for about 2 1/2 12-inch pizzas, but I like having the leftover sauce which I can use for a dipping sauce or I can freeze and save it for later.

Crust
1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 1/3 cups warm water (105 deg to 115 deg F)

1 1/2 cups white bread flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

You will need an addition 1/4 cup of all purpose flour for your kneading your dough.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

Cooking spay

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

Toppings

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

Whatever else you desire....

• Combine the yeast and warm water in a large mixing bowl and let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes. While the yeast is dissolving turn your oven on to 200 deg. When it reaches that temp, turn off you oven. You will now have an oven warm enough, but not too warm for you dough to rise.
  

Properly disolved yeast

• Add the flours, olive oil, and salt. Mix by hand for about one minute to blend all ingredients. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a bowl coated with your cooking spray, turn dough over to coat with the oil from the spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hour until the dough has double in size.


Mix together


Knead the dough for 10 minutes
Dough should be smooth and elastic

Transfer dough to greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place.


• Meanwhile, it is time to make your sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Add your minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced.



Add garlic to warm olive oil



Add the can of tomatoes and cook until the sauce reduces
• Once your dough has risen, remove it from the oven and punch it down(yes, just like it sounds, punch your dough) and divide it in half. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest, loosely covered in plastic wrap for 10 to 15 minutes.

My punched down dough...looks like something from CSI! Also, see how dough has doubled in size.

Shhh! The dough is resting.
• Preheat your oven to 475 deg F. Grease (with cooking spray) and dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal.



Cornmeal covered baking pan, if it looks like I used too much cornmeal, that is because I did. Also, this pan is covered with parchment paper because it is one for those pans with the wholes in the bottom and I did like how it makes the crust dimpled.
• Flatten each dough ball, 1 at a time into a 12-inch round disk, rolling and stretching the dough. Place each dough circle on a prepared baking sheet. Lift the edges and pinch it to form a lip to prevent the filling from making the crust soggy.


12 inches!
• Add your sauce, as much as you like. You may have some sauce left over depending on how much sauce you desire on your pizza. Simply save the leftover sauce for use a dipping sauce for your crust, or pour the remaining sauce into ice cube trays and freeze for later use.


Saucy! See the edges, no sauce it getting under to make my crust soagy.
• Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to each pizza and cover with your choice of toppings.


Going into the oven. We had a greek pizza with feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and marinated artichoke hearts...YUMMY!
• Bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice and serve at once.

All Done!

Each pizza is easily cut into 8 nice sized slices. For a plain cheese pizza with no additional toppings the calories per slice would be 178.50.