Favorite Things: Pizza

I am pretty unoriginal in my favorite food. Pizza. I love it. I grew up with my mom making pizza most Friday nights for me and my brother's friends when we were in high school. Her pizza recipe is to die for good. I never thought I would find another even close to comparison. My mom's is still one of my favs, but last year I got this recipe from my great friend Kim. A few have asked for it since most of my Friday posts always include a note that it is pizza night!

Homemade Pizza & Calzones

1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
2 ½ - 3 ½ cups flour (I use 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp. garlic seasoning

Combine warm water and yeast, allow to get bubbly. (Add a sprinkling of sugar to help the yeast along.) Meanwhile, combine sugar, salt, and 2 ½ cups of flour. Add yeast and olive oil. Mix well. Place on a flour board or counter. Add remaining flour as you are kneading; about 5 minutes. (If mixing by hand you may not add the full amount.) Return dough to a greased bowl, turn once to cover the dough in oil. Let dough rise until double in size. (About an hour.) Punch down. Let double again. (About 30 minutes.)

Two Pizzas: Divide dough in half and roll out on pizza pans or stone. Add toppings. Bake @ 475 degrees for 12 – 15 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing!!! Or for a quick meal, prepare both pizzas and only bake one. Place the second on a disposable aluminum pizza pan. Cover well in foil and plastic wrap and freeze. Bake a little longer if you are cooking it from the freezer.

Calzones: Divide dough into six pieces. Roll dough out into rectangles. Put toppings on one half of the rectangle; don’t get too close to the edges. (Add more sauce than you think.) Fold the side without toppings over the toppings. Shape the Calzones so the corners are curved and seal edges with a touch of water. You can also go along the edges and seal with a fork. Poke a few holes on top so steam can escape. Lift using a spatula onto a pizza stone or cookie sheets. Bake @ 475 for 12 – 15 minutes. You can also freeze these for quick lunches! Just bake as normal and allow to cool. Then wrap in foil and freeze. To warm up just pop in the microwave for a few minutes.

And if you are in a pinch for time, my favorite quick pizza is using a loaf of Italian Sweet Stick. (I get mine at Kroger in the Bakery.) Just cut it in half, place on pizza stone and top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 475 for about 10 minutes or till your desired crispness. A great quick meal!

ohhh....I want pizza now!