Update on Pizza (with pictures)

I posted last week about our chevre mushroom pizza and wanted to follow up since we made pizza again today for lunch.  This time I snapped a couple pictures with my phone so I could upload them.  I rarely make a recipe unless I see a picture of it (I know that other people feel similarly).  My goal is to get better about taking pictures of what I bake/cook.  This will probably be easier in a couple weeks when my new phone gets in.  For now, I'm working with a very limiting camera phone and my own very limiting creativity.

More information on the dough:  This week I made the dough on Saturday night and put it into an oiled zip-lock bag which was then put into the refrigerator (this step takes the place of letting it rise the first time).  This morning before we left for Church, I pulled the dough out of the fridge and transferred it from the zip-lock to a mixing bowl.  The bowl was then covered and the dough rose while we were gone.  It worked out well because when we got home from Church, lunch was already halfway prepared.  :)

We're trying to set a pattern of being ready to host guests after Church.  Of course, we just moved here and we're just getting to know people at our Church, but we'd like to have our home/meal prepared so that we could invite people over after Church if the opportunity arises.  It creates an interesting challenge for me to find a meal that could easily be "expanded" if we had guests and need to stretch the food.  But at the same time, we don't want to be wasteful and prepare food that will go uneaten.  This is where the pizza dough came in!

Since it was just Caleb and I only used about 2/3 of the dough that was prepared for our pizza (we really could have used 1/2 of it).  The remaining dough was put back into the zip-lock and I plan on using it to make breadsticks later this week.  That way nothing was wasted and we'll have homemade breadsticks without the hassle of making them right before dinner.  I'll probably pair the breadsticks with homemade soup or salad (depending on the weather).

From the pictures it clear that we did one side white bread and one side with a marinara sauce.  I whipped up the sauce when we got home because we didn't have any pizza sauce on hand. 

 

Before the oven

Ready to eat!

come into my kitchen: chevre mushroom pizza

***Click here to read an update on this post and see pictures!

Alright, so the disclaimer to this recipe is as follows:  my family doesn't really follow recipes very well.  It's a lot more of how it "looks" or "feels" than what is actually written down.  So...ye-ah.  Hopefully yours will turn out well!  :)

This is our basic recipe for pizza dough.  So delicious!  It's a family favorite (and we're Italian, so that gives this recipe bonus points or something).  On our honeymoon, they had this amazing chèvre (goat cheese) and mozzarella pizza on the cruise boat.  I think Caleb and I had it at least four of the seven days!  When we got settled here in Biloxi I decided to try to recreate it (and at the same time make a few changes/additions to the recipe!).  This is a "white bread" pizza so it doesn't have sauce.  Enjoy!  :)

Pizza Dough:

1 tablespoon (1 packet) yeast
3/4 cup of warm water (NOT hot water)
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups of flour
olive oil

Dissolve the yeast into 3/4 cup of warm water and let sit covered in a warm place.

Warm the milk, vegetable oil, sugar and salt in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.  Let cool completely.  If this is too warm, it is kill the yeast and your dough won't rise.

Combine the yeast mixture and the milk mixture in a large bowl.  Add flour.  The amount of flour you need depends on where you live and what the weather is that day, so I always start by adding about 3 cups (it's easy to add flour later if the dough is too sticky).  Turn onto counter and knead for a few minutes.  If dough is too sticky, add flour.  If it is too dry, add a little bit of olive oil.

Place dough in clean bowl (I always put about a tablespoon of oil and rub it around the sides of the bowl).  Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 25-30 minutes or until dough has doubled.

Press into well oiled pan (it makes enough to fill a 13x9, I think) and let it rise again for about 10-20 minutes.

Bake in a hot oven (about 450 degrees) for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Add toppings and sauce.  Broil on high for a couple minutes (until the cheese is nicely melted)


Pizza Toppings:  (all measurements are approximate - let your tastebuds and personal preferences guide you!)

1-1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (sauteed with garlic and olive oil)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
1 - 2 cups chèvre (found in the deli section of the grocery store)
1 - 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning

I started by brushing a thin coat of olive oil.  Then I sprinkled Italian seasoning across the top along with Parmesan cheese.  I put on the vegetables next, then the chèvre, and ended with the mozzarella cheese.