Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water (80 degrees Fahrenheit)
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
Add the water and oil to your bread machine. Add the flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the yeast. Set the bread machine to the "dough" setting and let it go to work! My machine takes 1 hr 50 min to complete the dough cycle.
Once the dough is done, remove it all from the insert and place it onto your pizza stone (I love my Pampered Chef stone) or a baking sheet. I sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the stone to keep the dough from sticking and it allows you to spread it out easier. To start a pizza, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roll out the dough into a 12-14 inch round on the stone. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then pull it out to put on the toppings.
This makes one thick crust or two thin crusts. I prefer my crust thick, so that is what I always make and the baking directions are for this version. I'm not sure if baking times need to be adjusted or not if you choose to make thin crusts.
I'd also like to share some of our favorite pizza recipes. This first one I have only made once, but I will definitely be making it again. It is a bit more involved for a pizza, but definitely worth it. I think it might just be my favorite pizza ever and I hope you love it too if you give it a try! It's yummy for kids and adults and fancy enough to serve to company too! I found it on Annie's Eats blog, my favorite food blog, and I made just a couple tweaks to it.
Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Bacon Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup good quality strawberry jam or preserves (I like Smuckers Orchard's Finest - Pacific Mountain Strawberry Preserves)
- 1 tsp sriracha chili sauce
- Pizza dough (see above recipe)
- 1 cup diced, cooked chicken (I diced up boneless chicken breast)
- 4 slices applewood smoked bacon, diced and cooked until crisp
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
- Scant 1/2 cup hulled strawberries, diced
Add the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook 4-5 minutes or until reduced by about half with a thick, syrupy texture. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic reduction with the strawberry jam and sriracha chili sauce. Set aside.
To start the pizza, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roll out your pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round on a pizza stone. I sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the stone to keep the dough from sticking and it allows you to spread it out easier. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then pull it out to put on the toppings. While the crust is baking, I cook the chicken in a large frying pan until it's about halfway done, add the bacon to the chicken and continue cooking until it's crisp, then add the onion to cook for a minute. Drain any extra grease from the pan. Next, spread the balsamic-strawberry mixture in a thin layer over the crust. Layer with the chicken, bacon, onion, cheeses, cilantro, and strawberries.
Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
My next favorite pizza would have to be a pizza referred to as the "Cowboy Extreme" at Fat Katz in Georgetown, KY, as we quickly became hooked on this one. I tried making my own version when we moved to Georgia, and it was a success!
Chicken Bacon BBQ Pizza
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough (see above recipe)
- 1/2 to 1 cup BBQ sauce, depending on how saucy you like it (I use my favorite, Montgomery Inn)
- 1 cup diced, cooked chicken (I use boneless chicken breast)
- 4 slices applewood smoked bacon, diced and cooked until crisp
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced or diced onion (yellow, sweet, or white)
- 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- Banana peppers (optional)
To start the pizza, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roll out your pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round on a pizza stone. I sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the stone to keep the dough from sticking and it allows you to spread it out easier. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then pull it out to put on the toppings. While the crust is baking, I cook the chicken in a large frying pan until it's about halfway done, add the bacon to the chicken and continue cooking until it's crisp, then add the onion to cook for a minute. Drain any extra grease from the pan. Next, spread the BBQ sauce in a thin layer over the crust. Layer with the chicken, bacon, onion, and cheeses. Add the banana peppers if you desire.
Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
This past week I made a Taco Pizza. I have made it in the past, but this was the first time with my own homemade dough and taco seasoning. I love that this was a completely "unprocessed" version and it was just as tasty as ever!
Taco Pizza
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough (see above recipe)
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound ground beef (I use lean)
- 3/4 to 1 cup salsa (I like Fresh Market's medium salsa)
- Homemade taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced or diced onion (yellow, sweet, or white)
- 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
To start the pizza, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roll out your pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round on a pizza stone. I sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the stone to keep the dough from sticking and it allows you to spread it out easier. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then pull it out to put on the toppings. While the crust is baking, I brown the ground beef in a large frying pan until it's nearly done, then add the homemade taco seasoning and onion to cook for a few minutes. Drain any extra grease from the pan. Add the salsa and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Next, spread the pizza sauce in a thin layer over the crust. Layer with the beef/onion/salsa mixture and cheeses.
Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving. You could also top this with additional salsa, sour cream, or black olives.
Margherita Pizza
Ingredients:
- Pizza dough (see above recipe)
- 1/2 to 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 8-10 leaves of fresh basil
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 1-ounce portions
To start the pizza, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roll out your pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round on a pizza stone. I sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the stone to keep the dough from sticking and it allows you to spread it out easier. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then pull it out to put on the toppings. Spread the crushed tomatoes in a thin layer over the crust. Sprinkle the garlic evenly over the tomatoes. Layer with the basil leaves, then arrange the slices of mozzarella evenly on top.
Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. You may need to broil the pizza for a minute or two to get this cheese lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
The next specialty pizza I would like to attempt will be something similar to Mellow Mushroom's gourmet white pizza. I love the idea of a pizza without the regular sauce (kind of obvious given the above recipes!), and theirs is super tasty.
What are your favorite pizza recipes/toppings? Do you have a "Pizza Night" at your house?
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