It’s Friday fun night and I’m planning to make a pizza or two for my crowd. We have chicken left over from last night so I’m thinking my weight lifting teenagers will opt for that instead of “peasant food” which is what our oldest son calls pizza. Then he regales us with the history of pizza. He’s a science major at our local University and a bit of a know it all about everything.
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| My oldest son brought home some dry ice from the Science Centre where he works in the summer time. This is him drinking something with that ice. He is always regaling us with his vast knowledge about sciency stuff and of course peasant food. |
Suffice it to say, he will eat our chicken so I’m thinking I will make one big pizza.
Classic Cheese on one side and a veggie on the other for those of us who like eating stuff from the garden, us peasants. Which is most of our family, thank heavens!
So help me by grating the cheese and cutting up the veggies and I will make the crust.
Here’s how I make one large pizza crust that is thick and holds lots of veggies. If you like your crust thinner and crispy just add a bit more flour and split the dough in half and spread it on two pans. We like ours thick….which our oldest also says, ‘”is not a true pizza crust, it’s suppose to be thin”
Hope’s Homemade Pizza Crust recipe
Ingredients
3 cups of flour
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
11/2 cups of warm water
1 tbsp yeast (I buy the quick rising kind from Costco’s…it’s in a large box for around $5.00 dollars.)
1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Non stick spray for the pizza pan
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| Kate and Tori help to mix the dough |
Directions
Add 11/2 cups of warm water to a large bowl
Sprinkle the yeast on the top of the water and let it sit for at least 5 minutes
Mix the flour (and I like to use unbleached white with some whole wheat…the combination can be your choice…We like 1/2 and 1/2 but if you aren’t use to whole wheat flour use less at first)
the sugar and the salt together until well combined.
Then take a fork and make sure the yeast is mixed really well into the warm water…it should be frothy. Then add your tbsp of olive oil and mix well again.
Finally, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix really well. When a ball has formed I start to turn it over and over kneading it like bread with my hands. I continue to mix until all the flour is worked in. This usually takes about 2 minutes. Sometimes it’s still sticky and if that is the case, then add a tiny bit of flour to the mixture so your hands don’t stick but not too much or your crust will be heavy.
Then I let the dough sit in the bowl with a damp cloth on top for at least 15 minutes. The longer you let it sit the more it will rise but I’m usually making mine right before dinner so I don’t have time to let it rise higher.
While you are waiting for it to rise you can grate the cheese and cut up all the veggies.
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| Grace Elizabeth grates the cheese |
The combinations are endless and like my chocolate chip cookies, my pizza’s always turn out a bit different each time. It’s endlessly interesting and delicious. I can’t believe the days that we used to order pizza out.
After the 15 minutes are up you can spread your dough on your lightly sprayed pizza pan. If you want you can let the crust sit on the pan to rise once again…another 15 minutes makes it light and soft and you will have an even chewier crust.
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| You can make pizza sauce from scratch or use your fav spaghetti sauce |
Spreading the pizza sauce of your choice is the next step…..I just use whatever we have in the house. Usually it’s the organic tomato sauce from Costco’s but this year it’s going to be from my own tomatoes as I have planted enough to keep us going all year. Stay tuned later this summer for all my “what to do with the tomatoes posts.”
So that’s it for the crust. Now let the creativity begin by letting your palate be your guide. Whatever we have growing n the garden or in the fridge is what I throw on our pizza.
Right now we have red onion, spinach, mince garlic (from my garden…I’m thrilled with my garlic this year.) basil, tomatoes (sadly, from the store, hey I’m in Canada and we are just starting to see them turn colour now, although I did have a few red cherry ones that were yummy) and of course zucchini and feta cheese. For the cheese side of the pizza just pile on the mozzerella cheese and some cheddar…our kids like that and a bit of parmesan cheese too.
And voila!
A few weeks ago my sisters C and J were in town and I made them my new pesto sauce pizza….it was delish….I will for sure do a post on making pesto so you can try it out. It is amazing if you like basil and garlic. But try anything you like and you can’t go wrong with a Friday night fun food like pizza. I think I will pull out an apron and an old hat when my older son comes home and welcome him to peasant land. It’s a good place to be.
I also made a Kale Salad to go with our pizza and some cut up cucumbers and carrots from our garden as well. Did you know that Kale was also peasant food in the ‘ole days. Nobler folks wouldn’t touch it. Last summer I was reading how marvelous Kale was…a top 10 healthy food choice for sure. Oh that makes me think of doing another blog post on my green Kale drink….stay tuned for that.
Well, if you have gotten to know me at all bu reading my first few blog posts, I often write a novella so I will stop here and get on with cleaning up the kitchen….that is a picture I won’t show you but I’m sure you can imagine what it looks like when you have kids helping you and you are trying to write your blog. We also made homemade ice cream sandwiches this afternoon as well. (for another blog post day) If you could smell the chocolate wafting from my kitchen you would be in heaven (that is if you like chocolate….we love it around here)
So bon appetite!
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| My taste tester, who has been painting the living room |
You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients. – Julia Child
Until then, may you be well, happy, tummy full and peaceful.
Blessings from Hope