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Pizza! So, someone bought you a pizza stone yonks ago and you haven't ever used it. Here is a recipe for the dough that I found somewhere and adapted - I like my crust with some whole wheat and dried rosemary. This recipe makes two pizza crusts. Step one: Make the dough
Empty a packet of dry yeast into a large bowl and add a cup of warm water. Stir it so that the yeast dissolves. All a half a cup of whole wheat flour and a cup of regular flour. Combine these well and then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt and if you want to crumble a small handful of dried rosemary and mix well. Then add another cup of regular flour. I like to add it some at a time - one it gets to hard to mix with a wooden spoon you can drop the dough on a floured surface - scrape remaining bits out of the bowl and start kneading. You need to knead the dough for about 15 minutes - until the flour is combines and the dough is plastic-like - smooooth. Step two: Rise the dough Clean your big bowl and coat the bottom and sides with some olive oil. Place your ball of dough in and cover with some saran wrap. If your kitchen is cold, turn your oven on low and place the bowl on top of a kitchen towel ontop of the stove. The dough should take about 1 hour to double in size. Once it has risen, take it out to a floured surface and cut it in half. (You can wrap half in saran and stick it in the freezer at this point if you want.) Knead each half into a ball and place in two oiled bowls covered in plastic and let them rise again for about a half hour. Step three: Stretch your dough (this is the hard part) Take the dough out and place on a floured surface. With your finger tips make a one inch lip for the crust and a bump in the middle. (I hope this makes sense - if you have ever seen a diaphragm, as in the contraceptive, you'll know what I mean.) Then you can pick it up and use your fists to gently stretch out the middle - then hold the rim and turn it like a steering wheel to stretch out the edges - leaving the lip for the crust. Once you are ready - dust a pizza peel or a large round pizza pan with corn flour - the rough yellow stuff - and put your crust down. I like to rub some olive oil on the crust before topping it to ensure browness.
Step four: Top your pizza! Put whatever you like on a pizza. I start with a homemade sauce but you can use a spagetti sauce from a jar - but you should simmer it a little to get rid of some of the water. Making sure things won't create water is key - so I usually sauté mushrooms, steam and squeeze spinach etc. You can't do better than some cubed fresh mozzarella and shredded fresh basil on top of anything! Extra good - sliced jalapenos, prosciutto, capers, olives or hot pepperoni! Use a hot oven! 450-500 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Ingredients
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