Although I'm sure you've had pizza dozens of times this summer, it's something that kids (and most adults) never seem to tire of--especially if it's homemade and authentic.
Here's a recipe that comes pretty close to the genuine Italian article. It's based on cookbook author Peter Reinhart's recipes in the February 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, but I've simplified the process to make it more dad- and kid-friendly. (You die-hard pizza makers will want to check out Reinhart's pizza blog, Pizza Quest.)
The following recipe not only tastes great, but the dough is fairly easy to work with, so you can turn dinner into a family activity by letting each child make his or her own custom pizzas. I like to keep the pizzas small--they cook faster that way and they're easier to get on and off the pizza stone.
Speaking of pizza stones, you'll need one for this recipe if you want the best results, but you can also use a heavy cookie sheet turned upside down. (If you decide to use a cookie sheet, be sure to spray it with nonstick cooking oil before putting the pizzas on it.)
Remember, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, and c = cup.
Real Italian Pizza
For the dough:
5 c all-purpose flour
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1 t fast-rising yeast
2 T olive oil
1 3/4 c water
nonstick cooking spray
Place pizza stone (or upside-down cookie sheet) on a rack set set one-third of the way up from the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients except cooking spray, and stir with wooden spoon until well mixed.
Dip your hands in flour, and then begin kneading the dough. (That means playing with it--punching it down, forming it back into a ball, punching it down again.) It's easiest to do this on a wooden or plastic cutting board lightly dusted with flour.
Knead dough for three or four minutes, until it is no longer sticky. To accomplish this, you may need to add some flour, one teaspoon at a time.
Once the dough is elastic, and no longer sticks to your hands, form it into a ball and place it in a mixing bowl coated with cooking spray. Place the bowl in the microwave oven. (Don't turn it on--the microwave is just a safe place for the dough to hang out and rise a little while you get the sauce and toppings ready.)
For the sauce:
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 t vinegar
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c water
Put all ingredients (except salt and water) into a bowl and whisk together. Add salt to taste. Gradually add water--one teaspoon at a time--if sauce is too thick. (You want it fairly thick, but not pasty.)
To assemble pizzas:
Divide dough into pieces about the size of super balls (or large gum balls) and give one to each child. Have them flatten the dough balls with their palms, and then use their fingers to carefully stretch the dough into something resembling a circle 5-6 inches across. (You may have to help the little ones do this.) The dough should be very thin, since it will puff up in the oven. The pizzas won't be perfectly round, but that's how Italian pizzas are.
Once the dough circles are ready, place them, one at a time, on a small cutting board dusted with cornmeal. (The cornmeal will keep the dough from sticking to the board, so you can slide the pizza off the board and onto the pizza stone.) Once the dough is on the cornmeal-covered board, DO NOT PRESS DOWN ON IT or it will stick, and you won't be able to slide it onto the pizza stone.
Allow each child to spread his or her own pizza with sauce, and then add grated mozzarella cheese and any other toppings they desire. (For a classic Pizza Margherita, simply top dough with sauce, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves brushed with olive oil. My son, Andy, loves this.)
Once toppings are in place, carefully--and I do mean carefully--slide the pizza off the cutting board and onto the preheated pizza stone using a spatula. You'll probably have a few mishaps the first few times you do this (upside down pizza, anyone?), but you'll get the hang of it.
Repeat topping procedure with additional pizzas and place them, one by one, on the pizza stone. (You should be able to fit about six of these mini-pizzas on the stone.)
Once the first batch of pizzas are safely in the oven, take a spray bottle filled with water--set to mist setting--and spray it into the oven a couple of times. (I'm not sure why this works, but it makes for more authentic crusts.)
The pizzas will cook quickly, so watch them carefully--five minutes is usually all it takes. As soon as the cheese on the first pizza is bubbly and slightly brown, remove it with the spatula and place it on a cooling rack. Remove the other pizzas, in turn, as they are ready.
You should have enough dough for 12-15 mini pizzas.
Buon appetito!
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| Authentic Italian pizza--at home! © Cekur | Stock Free Images |
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