THE LAND ~ February 18, 2022 ~ Southern Edition

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www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”

THE LAND — FEBRUARY 18/FEBRUARY 25, 2022

These delicious pizza recipes are easy as pie for the dough: Mama Mia! Who doesn’t like a good 3/4 cup pizza?!? Of course, we Americans enjoy a lukewarm water pizza pie, but the Norwegians hold the 1 teaspoon active dry yeast distinct honor of devouring more pizza 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading than any other country. Whether you’re 3/4 teaspoon salt Norske, Italian, or Minnesotan, pizza is 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided popular. Here are a few of my favorite recipes that are perfect pizza perfections! For the toppings: Ciao! COOKING 1/2 cup pizza sauce, such as classic red sauce or WITH KRISTIN a white sauce I vividly recall the aroma of the pizza day at my elementary school which signaled that a delicious 1 to 2 cups shredded cheese: one or a combination By Kristin Kveno meal was about to ensue. Those rectangles of of mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, fontina, goodness dotted with sausage brought happiness to me and still Romano, or asiago cheese do to this day. My daughter made this recipe for the family, and it topping options: sautéed onions or mushrooms, sliced red pepharkened me right back to the cafeteria and that tasty pizza. If pers, pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, etc. you want to relive a bit of your childhood, give this recipe a try. Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven, place a rimmed School Cafeteria Pizza baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450 degrees. https://www.plainchicken.com/school-cafeteria-pizza/ Meanwhile, make the dough. Pour the water into a medium 1 tablespoon shortening bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until the 1-1/2 tablespoons cornmeal yeast is dissolved and foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and 1 (0.25-oz.) packet of yeast salt. Mix with a stiff spatula or wooden spoon until floury, shaggy 1-2/3 cups water dough forms. Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead until 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour it forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball that springs back when you 3/4 cup instant non-fat dry milk powder poke it, 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough sticks to your hands like 2 tablespoons sugar bubblegum, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it›s easier to 1/4 teaspoon salt work with; avoid adding too much flour if possible. Cover the 1-1/2 teaspoons oil dough with the upside-down bowl or a clean kitchen towel and 1-1/3 cups pizza sauce, or to taste let sit while you prepare the pizza toppings, about 10 minutes. 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste pizza toppings of your choice Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with one piece Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Oil a half sheet pan with 1 table- of dough at a time, stretch or roll it into a thin, 10- to 12-inch round. Form from the middle of the dough outwards, using the spoon shortening. Sprinkle pan with cornmeal and set aside. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand for 4 to 5 minutes in heel of your hand to gently press and stretch the dough until it›s about a 1/4-inch thick or less. For an extra-thin crust, roll it with the bowl. Add flour milk, sugar, salt, and oil to the bowl. Mix for a rolling pin. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 10 minutes. The batter may be lumpy. minutes, and then try rolling again. Spread batter into the prepared pan and let rest for 20 minCarefully remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven utes. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and and place it upside down on a wire rack. Transfer the dough top with sauce, toppings, and cheese. directly onto the upside-down baking sheet. Brush the dough Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Spread 1/4 cup sauce into a thin layer melted and brown. Slice and serve. of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle on the cheese and other toppings. Bake until the crust is golden-brown, and the n cheese is melted and browned in spots, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove Calling all thin crust pizza fans, this is your recipe. It’s fast, the pizza from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before slicdelicious and crispy! ing and serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings. Thin-Crust Pizza n The Best Homemade Thin-Crust Pizza (thekitchn.com) For those thick-crust folks, here’s a recipe we use at our house all the time. The chewy crust is supreme, and the taste is superbly splendid.

The Absolute Best Thick Crust Pizza Dough Recipe (andreasnotebook.com) dough: 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 cup warm water 1 tablespoon olive oil

pizza toppings: 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, parsley) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder dash salt 1/2 cup tomato pizza sauce 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Combine the first four dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine water and oil, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth elastic dough. Grease a bowl with olive oil and put the ball of dough in it. Toss it around to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise 20 minutes. Grease a 12” or 16” pizza pan and spread the dough out with your hands on the pan. Don’t use a rolling pin. Let rise for 15 more minutes. Top pizza with olive oil, Italian spices, garlic powder, salt. Then add your favorite pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, toppings and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 11-15 minutes. n Can you ever really have enough cheese on a pizza? I know I can’t; that’s why I love this recipe, as it calls for cheese stuffed in the crust. That brings me back to when I first tried stuffed crust pizza at Pizza Hut in the mid-1990s. I loved stuffed crust right from the beginning and still do.

Stuffed Crust Pizza

How to Make Stuffed Crust Pizza - Sally’s Baking Addiction (sallysbakingaddiction.com) pizza dough 7 string cheese sticks, unwrapped 1/2 cup pizza sauce, or more depending on how much you like (homemade or store-bought) 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese big handful of pepperonis (or any other toppings you like) optional: Italian seasoning blend or dried basil for sprinkling on top Prepare the pizza dough; preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges. Arrange the string cheese around the edges of the crust, leaving a ¾-inch space. Fold the edges of the dough over the string cheese, pinching down to seal. Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes if you›re having trouble sealing it completely. Top with pizza sauce, the mozzarella cheese, then the pepperoni. Sprinkle lightly with seasoning. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese is bubbling. For the last minute, move the oven rack to the top rack to really brown the edges. That›s optional. Remove from the oven. Slice pizza and serve immediately. Store leftover pizza covered tightly in the refrigerator and reheat as you prefer. Baked pizza slices can be frozen up to one month. Thick, thin, stuffed or school-style, pizza is as versatile as it is delicious. So, pep up a night with one of these perfect pizza recipes! Kristin Kveno scours the internet, pours over old family recipes and searches everywhere in between to find interesting food ideas for feeding your crew. Do you have a recipe you want to share? You can reach Kristin at kkveno@thelandonline.com. v


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