Adams Media - The 50 best pizza recipes : tasty, fresh, and easy to make!

The 50 Best
Pizza Recipes

Tasty, fresh, and easy to make!

Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.

Avon, Massachusetts

Contents

Introduction

Its an ancient seduction: good bread, aromatic and dense, topped with pure oils and the best fruits of earth and sea. Although modern pizza devotees consume $32 billion worth of the crusty delight each year, the tradition is as old as recorded history. And it is truly an international dish.

Modern pizza history begins with a Neapolitan baker who prepared a pie in the colors of the Italian flag in honor of a visit from the queen. A few years later, Italian immigrants brought the dish to New York, and from there it flourished in Italian neighborhoods along the East Coast from Philadelphia to Boston. Years later, after United States servicemen came home from Europe with a taste for pizza and other ethnic fare, an era of all-American innovation began, and pizzas of all shapes and sizes, with all manner of toppings, began turning up in cities across the land.

Whether your household budget leans toward the pizza stone or the stone pizza oven, it is absolutely possible to make fresh, fabulous pizza at home. The scent of warm bread and bubbling cheese from the kitchen will seduce even the toughest pizza snobs.

Weve gathered fifty of the most delicious recipes for you to begin your pizza journey. Try out a few pies on close friends and family, then work your way up to a full-fledged pizza party. The oohs and aahs from guests as you pull a fragrant, cheesy pizza from the oven will warm your heart and make you wonder why you ever called for delivery.

Classic Crust

If you use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour for this crust, youll end up with a denser, flatter end product. Bread flour contains more gluten and is more elastic when kneaded.

Makes crust for four 12-inch pizzas

Ingredients

2 packages active dry yeast

1 cups warm water, about 100F

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoons salt

6 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large measuring cup, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Combine sugar, salt, and bread flour in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook. Or, to mix by hand, place in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the water, followed by 1 tablespoon of oil.

2. Turn the mixer on low to blend, or begin stirring the flour into the liquid with a wooden spoon, a little at a time. When ingredients are well combined, turn the mixer on medium-low to knead for 5 minutes. If working dough by hand, turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Use a pressing motion with the heels of your hands. Work dough until the mixture is slightly shiny and not too sticky to the touch.

3. The kneaded dough should be divided into four equal pieces. Store any dough not being used in a resealable bag in the refrigerator. Oil remaining dough and place in a bowl, covered, to rise for 1 hour. Punch the dough down, shape into 2 disks, and let rest for 30 minutes.

4. Grab dough by the edges, turning the disk a few inches at a time, allowing gravity to stretch the dough without tearing. Roll the dough into a crust shape or press into a pizza pan. Top as directed in recipe.

Dough for Tomorrow

Pizza dough will rise, albeit slowly, in the refrigerator. To use dough thats been refrigerated overnight, place in a covered bowl on the counter. Punch dough down, then let stand until dough reaches room temperature. Use as directed.

Pan Pizza Crust

With this recipe, you can recreate the Chicago-style deep dish pizza in your own kitchen (no matter where you live!).

Makes crust for four 12-inch pizzas

Ingredients

2 cups reduced-fat milk

2 packages active dry yeast

6 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons olive oil

1. Warm milk in the microwave to about 100F, or just warm, not hot, to the touch.

2. In the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook, combine yeast, flour, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. With dough hook running on low speed, slowly add the warm milk followed by 4 tablespoons olive oil.

3. Turn mixer to medium-low or proper speed for kneading. Allow mixer to knead the dough for 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly glossy and springy to the touch. If the dough seems too wet, add a small amount of flour and knead a little longer.

4. Remove dough to a lightly floured work surface. A pastry board or silicone baking sheet is good. Waxed paper or nonstick foil on the counter will do. Divide the pizza dough in half and shape into two even balls. Grease two metal or glass bowls with the remaining olive oil and place the dough balls in the bowls, turning to lightly oil the dough.

5. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Allow dough to rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch down. If making two pizzas, place one dough ball in a resealable plastic bag, press out the air, and refrigerate for later use. Take remaining ball and divide in half. Lightly pat each half into a flattened circle, cover, and let stand 20 to 30 minutes before placing in plans. Refrigerated dough should be allowed to come to room temperature before using.

California Thin Crust

To develop the characteristic crispness pizza lovers enjoy you need to use high-protein flour for this crust or anything that contains 12 to 14 percent gluten (the higher the percentage the better).

Makes crust for four 12-inch pizzas

Ingredients

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup warm water, about 100F

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sugar

6 cups high-protein flour

1 teaspoons salt

1. In a large mixer bowl, combine water, yeast, oil, and sugar. Using a mixer with a dough hook, stir on low speed until the yeast dissolves and the mixture is well combined. Slowly add flour and salt. Continue stirring until a stiff ball of dough forms.

2. Place dough in a large (2-gallon) resealable plastic bag or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

3. Turn pizza onto a well-floured surface. Divide into four sections. (Return any sections that arent being used to the refrigerator.) Roll sections into very thin circles, dusting liberally with flour as you go. Prick pizza crust several times with a fork and top according to recipe directions.

Making Your Crust Super-Thin

To get your pizza super-thin, use the above recipe and a pasta roller. Run strips of dough through the rollers and line them up, overlapping slightly on a well-oiled pizza pan. Smooth out the seams, prick the crust with a fork, and then use as directed in your recipe.

Multigrain Crust

Multigrain and ancient grain flours are experiencing a surge in popularity theres no shortage of varieties available. They normally cost a bit more and need to be stored in the refrigerator, but are full of whole grains and healthy fats.

Makes crust for four 12-inch pizzas