Pizza Pizzazz - Crust for two 13” pizzas

YOU WILL NEED  (You’ll find items with an * at the Williamsburg General Store.)

	Large glass or ceramic bowl
	*Measuring cup(s)
	2 cups plus 2 teaspoons all purpose flour, plus another cup or two
	*2 teaspoons dry yeast
	Warm water (for recipe and washing/heating bowl)
	1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
	1/4 teaspoon sugar
	*Dried Greek oregano (to taste)
	Grated mozzarella cheese
	*Wood spoon or other such mixing tool
	*Rolling pin
	Plastic wrap (about 12 inches)
	1/4 cup or so olive oil or other vegetable oil
	Pizza pan or rimless cookie sheet
	Pizza stone (optional)
	*Pastry brush
	*Metal spatula or a peel
	*Counter scraper (handy, but optional)
	*Bowl scraper (also handy but optional)
	*Pizza cutter (wheel or large knife)

FIRST (AND FOREMOST) YOUR CRUST (Recipe makes two, thin, crispy, 13-inch pizza crusts)

Warm and dry a large bowl, preferably ceramic or glass (holds heat better than metal)

Mix in a measuring cup
	½ cup warm water
	¼ teaspoon sugar
	2 teaspoons flour
Then add
	2 teaspoons dry yeast. Sprinkle on top of your liquid, wait a minute or two then stir in.

Wait 7 - 8 minutes or ‘til your yeast mix is foamy. If it’s not foamy, throw it out and get new yeast. (The General Store sells really good yeast for a really low price.)

Mix together in your warm, dry bowl
	2 cups flour 
	1 teaspoon salt
Add
	Your foamy yeasty stuff
	An additional ½ cup warm water
With a wood spoon, beat this concoction for 2 minutes. It should be soft and sticky. If it’s too soft to make into a goopy, droopy ball, toss in a little more flour and beat it some more. When it tries to hang together and begins to pull away from your bowl, you can stop beating it and wipe your beaded brow. 

Spread some flour onto your work surface - say at least a half cup or so for openers. (Not too close to the edge, please, lest you mess the floor.)

Dump your dough onto the floured surface, scooping it all out with a flexible spatula or one of those neat bowl scraper things you can buy at the General Store. Wash your bowl with hot water and dry it. Keep it warm. 

Turn your dough to lightly flour it all over and knead for five minutes. Add more flour as needed, but only enough so you can work your dough. It will tend to become less sticky and more cooperative as you knead it. You want it pretty soft when you’re done.

	**** Here’s a neat way to get the dough off your hands: rub your hands and fingers with flour. Works great.

Rub olive oil inside your warm, dry, large bowl - be generous. No olive oil? Use any vegetable oil.

Put your dough into the bowl, turn it over and around so it’s oiled all over. 
	If you want just one pizza, divide your dough and put half into a zip bag and into your freezer.

Cover your dough with plastic wrap so it touches your dough. Cover all with a towel. Let your dough be warm and happy (it’ll enjoy 70º - 80º.) until it has tripled in volume. This will take maybe 2 hours, plenty of time to prepare your toppings. 

Using a pizza pan? After about an hour and a half waiting for your dough to rise, place a rack at the bottom of your oven. Crank the heat  up to 500º 15 minutes or more before putting your pizza in. 

Using a pizza stone? Put it on the topmost rack and heat to 500º for about an hour. It really makes a difference to heat it that long. It even helps to give it a 10-minute blast of broiler heat just before you put your pizza on. Turn off broiler before you lay on your pizza.


Pizza Pizzazz - 2


Your dough has risen, sauce is made, toppings laid out, and your oven is hot and ready. 

Flour your counter or board, so you can roll out your dough to 14 inches.

If making two pizzas, grab your dough with both hands and tear it in half. Put half onto your work surface and leave half in your bowl.

Spread your dough with your hands and fingers. A little oil on your hands can help. Try to avoid thin spots, but if you get one or two just patch them with some dough. It doesn’t have to look great, but please no leaks.

Flour your rolling pin and lightly dust your dough. Roll from the center to the edges ‘til it’s about 14” across. Try to leave it thicker at the edge. If it tries to bounce back like an elastic, roll it some more until it agrees you’re the boss.

Oil your pizza pan and have it at the ready. 

Rub more flour onto your rolling pin. Set it down a couple inches in from the edge of your dough, lift the edge of your dough up onto your rolling pin and roll it along your dough to roll it all up. If it sticks to your work surface, slide your counter scraper or knife under to free it up.

Now hold your rolling pin over the edge of your pizza pan so your dough will nicely cover it as you unroll it. Good luck! It’s worked hard (you too). Now you both can take a 10-minute break.

TOPPING YOUR PIZZA (See sauce recipe, use your own, or buy some.)

Brush olive oil over the crust, then brush on your sauce. Not too much! The crust’s the thing. Stay a half inch or more from the edge.

Sprinkle on some dried Greek oregano. Or don’t. You’re the chef.

Sprinkle on grated mozzarella or other stretchy cheese. Then add your whatever else. Just don’t get carried away or you might end up with a sloggy, droopy mess. The test of truly great Pizza Pizzazz is the crust, not the toppings. 
	Try pesto and sliced mushrooms instead of tomato-based sauce. Top it with cheese - mmmm, good.

Put your pan onto the lowest shelf and bake for 10 minutes.

Now the hard part…. Slide out the rack and holding the pan in one hand with a thick pot holder and your peel or spatula in your other hand, slide your almost-done pizza off the pan directly onto your oven rack. Bake another 2 or 3 minutes or until you don’t dare leave it there any longer. (All ovens are different.)

Slide out your oven rack and ease your now perfectly done pizza back onto your pan. Slide it onto a large cutting board, slice with a long knife or pizza cutting wheel.

Now you can make your second pizza. Do it like the first. Tell you guests to cool it.

For the stone: Go through the same rolling process with the other half of your dough. Roll it onto an oiled cookie sheet or rimless pan. Add your toppings. Pull out your top rack with the hot stone and slide your prepared pizza onto your stone. Bake 10 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned around the edge. Check underneath by lifting it with a wide spatula or peel. When done, slide it off onto a pan, then onto your cutting board. Call your guests. and have at it.
										

										
										

Note: The good people at Cook’s Illustrated magazine inspired this recipe, though they probably won’t recognize it. If you enjoy cooking, I bet you’ll enjoy Cook’s Illustrated, and the General Store’s kitchen department, too.





									D.M., August, 2013


Sauce For Two 13” Pizza Pizzazz.

YOU WLL NEED
	
	10- or 12-inch skillet or a two-quart saucepan
	Whisk or spatula for stirring
	Chopping board and knife
	2 teaspoons crushed garlic (find garlic crushers aplenty at the General Store)
	A dozen or so fresh basil leaves (No fresh? Use dried)
	A bunch of fresh parsley (No fresh? Use dried.)
	Dried Greek oregano
	Can of tomato paste
	28-ounce can whole, Italian-style tomatoes with juice
		Option: already chopped tomatoes, but PLEASE not stewed
	

In your 10- or 12-inch skillet or two-quart saucepan

	Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil. When glistening add	
	2 teaspoons crushed or finely minced garlic. Cook until aromatic - about 30 seconds
	your smooshed tomatoes and tomato paste	
	your chopped basil and parsley
	salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
	a sprinkle or three of dried Greek oregano (if using)

Simmer brightly, stirring occasionally, until it gets thick and saucy and the aroma irresistible. 

Take it off the heat, cover and let it rest 15 minutes or so. 



Note: The good people at Cook’s Illustrated magazine inspired this recipe, though they probably won’t recognize it. If you enjoy cooking, I bet you’ll enjoy Cook’s Illustrated, and the General Store’s kitchen department, too.





										D.M., August, 2013