Pizza Party Part 2
This past April, I had written a column entitled, “Pizza Party” with homemade pizza, homemade pizza sauce, dough, and a few other tips. I had alluded to the idea that I might do another entire pizza column, and it appears that I could keep going! The more I research pizza recipes, the more I find!
Pizza Crust (In case you missed it – this is what I use)
1 c. warm water
1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
1 T. oil or melted butter (I use olive oil)
1 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
Stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let set until bubbly. Add remaining ingredients and knead well. Let rise until double and then punch down and roll out. Add toppings of your choice. Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes. Makes one large pizza.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Spread ranch dressing on prepared dough (rolled out on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. If using a cookie sheet, it is much easier to roll out and place on sheet because of the pan edges.)
Toppings:
Diced or shredded chicken – browned in skillet, from a can, breaded – whatever you have on hand
Crumbled bacon*
Diced tomatoes – fresh grape or cherry tomatoes provide the nicest results, but other fresh diced or canned, well drained will do
Shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, colby, and/or cheddar cheeses (I like to use one white and one yellow)
Diced ham, if desired for added protein
Spread toppings and sprinkle with oregano and or garlic salt, if desired. Bake pizza at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Lift edge to check for dough doneness with a heat safe turner or server.
Crescent Rolls
The next two pizza recipes can be made using crescent roll dough. If you are feeling ambitious, try using this recipe for the dough.
1 c. warm water
1 pkg. yeast (1 T.)
1 T. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
Whisk yeast and sugar in water. Add eggs and beat together. Let stand 10 minutes.
½ c. sugar
½ c. butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
Add to yeast mixture.
5 c. bread flour (can use all-purpose)
Add flour to mixture and knead until smooth. Place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight, or up to one week. To bake: divide dough in half. Roll each half in a 12-inch circle and cut into 16 pie wedges (a pizza cutter works great). Roll up each wedge starting at wide end. Place on greased cookie sheets and let rise about 2 hours. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
BLT Pizza
I was quite skeptical about this pizza when I learned about it recently, but I am a new fan!
Dough: Naan flatbread (found at Aldi), prebaked refrigerated “roll can**” pizza dough, or prebaked crescent roll dough, from a can or from scratch (recipe listed above).
Spread cooled dough of choice with mayonnaise, not quite to the edges, as with pizza sauce. Sprinkle with shredded lettuce, crumbled bacon, and diced fresh tomatoes. Can also use shredded cheese if desired.
Vegetable Pizza
Mom’s recipe
Crescent roll dough – 2 cans or from scratch (recipe listed above)
2 pkgs. cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
broccoli, finely chopped
cauliflower, finely chopped
celery, finely chopped
red pepper, finely chopped
carrot, grated
Unroll crescent rolls on cookie tray, pinching together at perforations, and bake. Let cool. Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Ranch dressing; spread on cooled rolls. I recently learned that cutting the pizza before sprinkling with toppings creates a better finished appearance.
Note: Toppings are versatile and interchangeable – cherry tomatoes or cucumbers are good also.
*A method for bacon – line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil; spread bacon strips and bake at 350°F until desired doneness. It takes a while to get to crispy, but the crispness level ramps up fast once it starts to happen, so watch closely towards the end for desired results.
** The “proper” term for this in my family is “womp biscuits” – because when opening these refrigerated cardboard rolls, they break open with a “womp!”. 😊
