Pizza My Heart

I am a simple girl with simple needs. While I appreciate the occasional dressing up and going out, my ideal meal time rendezvous is a hole-in-the-wall joint (clean, of course) serving fresh, delicious food. And at the risk of sounding like a 3rd grader, one of my favorite foods is pizza. I can't quite explain it, but there's something about soft, chewy crusts and melted cheesy goodness that just makes me happy inside. Top it off with grilled veggies and spicy meat, pair it with a diet Coke or Stella, and there you have the perfect setup for a fabulous afternoon or evening.

But pizza is junk food, right? I beg to differ. Yes, the greasy, sodium-loaded Pizza Hut/Papa Johns/Dominos creations should only be consumed in moderation, but homemade pizza can be both healthy and nutritious. And if you're especially motivated, try this tasty whole wheat crust variation.

Whole Wheat Pizza

(crust and sauce recipes adapted from All Recipes)

Crust:

(*Note: makes about 1-medium sized pizza)

1/2 tsp sugar

3/4 cups warm water

1/2 TBS active dry yeast

1/2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup all-purpose or bread flour

1. Proof yeast by dissolving sugar in warm water, then adding the yeast. Mix gently and set aside as it bubbles.

2. Stir in olive oil and salt to yeast mixture. Add flour until dough starts coming together. (*Note: If using bread machine, combine all ingredients together and set on dough cycle. Skip to step 4).

3. Knead dough on floured surface until dough is smooth, about 10 min. Place in greased bowl. Cover with towel and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hr.

4. Take dough out onto lightly floured surface. Form into a tight ball. Put back in bowl, cover, and let rise another 45 min, until doubled.

5. Roll ball of dough with rolling pin (or any round surface) until it can't stretch any further. Drape over both fists and gently pull edges outward, while rotating the crust. (*Note: this is the cool spinning move the pros do on TV and in pizzerias. Give it your best shot! I tried, quite unsuccessfully, but it still tasted fine in the end, haha).

6. After reaching desired size, place on greased pizza pan. (*Note: I just used a cookie sheet- bottom of crust was still crispy on the outside. If you have pizza stone, I'm sure the results would be even better!) Top as desired.

Sauce:

(*Note: this recipe makes wayyyyy too much sauce- enough for 2-3 pizzas. Cut accordingly or just make one batch and freeze the rest for later).

-1 6oz can tomato paste

-1 cup water

-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 tsp dried oregano

-1 tsp dried basil

-1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

-black pepper to taste

-salt to taste (*Note: I found that it was salty enough w/o adding extra)

1. Mix together tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well.

2. Add garlic and spices. Mix well.

3. Bring to boil and simmer about 10 min. If possible, let it stand several hours for flavors to blend.

Pizza Assembly:

(*Note: this is just how I did it this time with ingredients I had on hand. Feel free to experiment yourself with your favorite toppings and cheeses.)

1. Spread thin layer of sauce evenly on dough.

2. Top with layer of desired cheese (I like mozz).

3. Add desired veggies and/or meat (I added tomato slices, fresh chopped basil, mushrooms).

4. Add another layer of cheese.

5. Bake dressed pizza for 16-20 min in oven preheated at 425 deg F, until crust golden at edges and cheese melted on top.

freshness is key













assembly- complete. love that texture!

mmm...















and as always...
beat cal!!!