Pizza's greatest hits
Pizza. Let;s talk about the greatest food ever made. What originally was a food sold in the streets for the poor as a flat bread eventually evolved into what we can now easily throw together in about a half hour or pick up one from a local distributor in about twenty minutes. Similar dishes to pizza were made as far back as the neolithic age, but what pizza was in the past was simply bread with other ingredients to make it more flavorful. Marinara sauce itself wasn't even added until the 1800s where the first pizzeria in Naples, known as Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba. The pizza we commonly see come from Raffaele Esposito in 1889 to impress the king and queen of Italy by using marinara, mozzarella cheese, and a yeast based bread to represent the colors of the Italian flag.
Pizza since has become a phenomenon with the installation of a pizzeria or pizza parlor, I like to call them, in every city within miles of each other. Even if you don't live close enough to go pick up a pizza you can simply get on your phone or now the internet and just have delivered straight to you place of residence, but if you're not into the whole ordering out thing you can easily make your and add what ever toppings you want.
If making a pizza from scratch isn't your thing good ol' Chef Boyardee is there for you with a kit that includes all you need, but for those others here are some ingredients.
Ingredients:
Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas
1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
If making the dough itself seems to be too much you can also buy dough balls, premade pizza crust, or even premade crust you can roll out of the tube.
Pizza:
1 Pizza crust (I personally use the the dough ball or premade crust)
Olive oil
Pizza sauce (Marinara or Tomato Sauce)
Any number of meat toppings (precooked for pizza)
Any number of vegetable toppings (If that's your thing)
Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Ingredients:
Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas
1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
If making the dough itself seems to be too much you can also buy dough balls, premade pizza crust, or even premade crust you can roll out of the tube.
Pizza:
1 Pizza crust (I personally use the the dough ball or premade crust)
Olive oil
Pizza sauce (Marinara or Tomato Sauce)
Any number of meat toppings (precooked for pizza)
Any number of vegetable toppings (If that's your thing)
Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Instructions:
- Prepare you crust either making from scratch or one of the simpler methods
- Apply olive oil to pizza crust so it crisp-ens properly
- Pour sauce onto crust and spread lightly with spoon
~ Sprinkle cheese over sauce until you fit to stop
~ Apply meat toppings of choice
~ Apply vegetable toppings of choice
(steps with ~ are interchangeable in order)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place pizza on oven safe non stick pan
- Once oven is heated place pizza on lowest rack in oven and watch for 15 - 20 minutes or until crust is a golden brown
- Remove from oven and cut pizza into slices
- Wait 2 - 5 minutes for pizza to cool off then enjoy
- Prepare you crust either making from scratch or one of the simpler methods
- Apply olive oil to pizza crust so it crisp-ens properly
- Pour sauce onto crust and spread lightly with spoon
~ Sprinkle cheese over sauce until you fit to stop
~ Apply meat toppings of choice
~ Apply vegetable toppings of choice
(steps with ~ are interchangeable in order)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place pizza on oven safe non stick pan
- Once oven is heated place pizza on lowest rack in oven and watch for 15 - 20 minutes or until crust is a golden brown
- Remove from oven and cut pizza into slices
- Wait 2 - 5 minutes for pizza to cool off then enjoy