Basic Pizza Crust

1 Tbsp yeast

1 cup hot water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

2 1/2 - 3 cups flour

Dissolve yeast with water, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix together. I usually let the dough rise for about 20 minutes for a lighter crust. This dough can also be rolled out immediately, if you are in a hurry. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Mandy and I made this when she visited last month and I made it again last night. So tasty and easy. It's not really a recipe, but more a list of ingredients. Sorry, there are no real quantities.

1 recipe pizza dough (I used 1 1/2 cups wheat flour and 1 cup white flour instead of the 3 cups of flour)
BBQ sauce
rotisserie chicken, shredded and then coated with BBQ sauce (its a great way to use leftover chicken or you can cook your own chicken in BBQ sauce)
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/3 to 1/2 depending on taste)
pineapple
black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
pepperoni (optional)
shredded mozzarella (about 2 cups)
shredded cheddar (about 1/2 cup)

Heat oven to 400.
Assembly: Roll crust, or press into 10x15" jelly roll pan. **If you don't have a pizza stone, I recommend prebaking the crust for about half the cooking time. This will prevent your crust from getting soggy and will give you a nice crisp on the outside, soft on the inside texture.**
Pre-bake just the crust for about 10 minutes. While the crust is cooking, assemble all your pizza toppings. Remove crust from oven. Spread about 1/4 cup BBQ sauce on crust (its really personal preference) Top with whatever toppings you are using. I added black beans to make a vegetarian version for my roommate (so technically it is a BBQ black bean pizza). Top everything with mozzarella and then just a bit of cheddar cheese. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and hot (I'll also put under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the cheese slightly) Slice and enjoy!

**I made my pizza crust in the morning and covered and placed in the refrigerator (the recipe says it doesn't need to rise, but I always think letting a yeast dough rise once makes it softer) When you get home from work or about 1 hour before you want to start assembling your pizza, remove the dough to the counter to come up to room temperature.

Pizza Loaf

This is fun for FHE!

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 eggs, separated
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic pwd
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz pepperoni slices
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can sliced ripe olives
1 medium green pepper
1 can pizza sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)

Roll out dough on baking sheet (or counter). In a bowl combine egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, oil, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. Brush over dough. Sprinkle with pepperoni, mozzarella, peppers & olives. Roll up jelly roll style, pinch ends together.

Brush with egg whites. DO NOT LET RISE. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and dip in pizza sauce!

Florentine Frying Pan Pizzas

Another Rachael Ray from me, imagine that. This pizza's really good and smells amazing!! She made them in a frying pan for the deep dish approach. I just put the pizza dough on a flat baking sheet and called it good. I got a little confused because it was an "individual" but in on the show she put it in a small frying pan - but yet it's 4 to 6 servings. Not my idea of a slice of pizza. But then again, who ever just has one slice/one serving of pizza?! I spread out the whole Pillsbury pizza dough and it was enough for my whole family: 2 hefty eating adults and 2 hefty eating kids.

She also said that you can also feel good about eating it because of all the vitamins in it... well, I think all the fat in her cheese trumps the vitamins - so I cut way down on the cheese... and it still tasted real good.

4 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (I used 1/4 c.)
A pinch of nutmeg
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 store-bought pizza dough from your favorite pizzeria
1 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded (I used 1/2 c.)

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Season them with salt and pepper then remove them to a plate.

In the same skillet the mushrooms where cooked in, melt the butter. Add the flour and garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes then whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened.

Add the mushrooms back to the skillet along with the cheese, nutmeg and spinach. Remove the Florentine mixture and let cool.

Cut the dough into quarters, reserving one for this recipe. Wrap up the rest in plastic wrap and freeze it for another time. Roll out the dough so it fits into a 6-inch skillet (use one that's oven-safe).

Before placing the dough into the skillet, drizzle about 1 to 2 tablespoons EVOO on the bottom of the skillet. Lay the dough into the skillet, pressing gently as you work the dough up the sides so it reaches the edge of the skillet. Fill the with the filling and sprinkle with fontina cheese. Pop in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the edges and bottom of the crust are golden brown.

Easy Pizza Dough

Found this one in a magazine, and we love it!

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm (110*F-115*F) water
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in water, about 5 minutes. Add flour, olive oil, sugar, and salt; beat until well combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, turn out, and roll into a 15" circle. Top as desired, leaving off cheese. Bake in a 400*F oven for 15 minutes. Add cheese and bake 5 minutes more.

Note: if you use a pizza stone, bake for only 10 minutes before adding the cheese, and then bake just 5 minutes more. Also, I find it's easiest to roll out the dough on parchment paper, and then just transfer the paper to the pizza stone.

quick pizza dough

This recipe is great for a quick meal -- there's no need to let the dough rise. Just mix, roll out, and go!

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.