homemade pizza dough

October

EVERYDAY FOOD

one ingredient, three ways

RISE TO THE OCCASION

A slice is nice, but there’s so much more you can do with pizza dough beyond making a cheesy pie. These recipes transform a standard crust—either store-bought or made from scratch—into party-perfect bread, a savory lamb dish, and even dessert.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LENNART WEIBULL

For a Crowd CHEESY SOPPRESSATA PULL-APART BREAD

Shape 1 pound room- temperature dough into two 11-inch baguettes. Space evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. An inch from one end of each, snip a deep, 1½-inch-wide horizontal pocket with shears. Nestle a slice each of soppressata and mozzarella inside. Repeat cutting and stuffing at 1-inch intervals, stopping 1 inch from other end. Let stand, draped with plastic, in a warm place until they double in size. Bake at 400° until cheese is melted and dough is puffed, about 35 minutes. Serve warm, with spicy honey (we like Bee Local Hot Honey; $12, beelocal.com).

A pair of kitchen shears is the key to making even cuts.

Meaty Main SPICED-LAMB PIE

In a skillet, brown 1 pound ground lamb with 1 minced onion, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, and 2 teaspoons each

cayenne pepper, ground

cumin, and cinnamon. Season with kosher salt. Roll 1 pound room-temperature dough into six 10-by-5-inch ovals. Transfer to baking sheets. Divide filling among ovals. Fold edges over meat; pinch ends together. Let stand, draped with plastic, in a warm place until they double in size. Brush crust with extra- virgin olive oil. Bake at 450° until golden, about 18 minutes. Drizzle with more oil; top with diced red onion, fresh mint leaves, and pine nuts; serve.

Sweet Finish NUTELLA & BANANA POCKETS

Roll 1 pound room- temperature dough into eight 4-inch rounds; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand, draped with plastic, in a warm place until they double in size. Lightly brush with beaten egg. Bake at 450° until golden, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. Use a knife to slice pita-like pockets; stuff with Nutella and sliced banana and serve.