Even on days when almost every last bit of energy seems to be used up, you can still nuke a cup of water, right?
Well, we’re here to tell you that if you can nuke a cup of water, you can make at home a no-kneading-required pizza! No kidding!
We’ll share a single rise crust, fun to top and super simple to bake pizza recipe that our webmaster has kindly agreed to share with our readers. It is adapted from the Pizza Dough I recipe which can be found at the allrecipes.com website, so full credit goes to that source for their original recipe.
Note that the webmaster puts this pizza together and bakes it off in less time than a delivery service would take to deliver a pizza to your doorstep on a busy evening in most locations around the country. You can easily customize this pizza to your liking and that of your family and/or friends. No special skills are required to prepare the dough or bake the pizza. You really can break the cycle of ordering delivery pizza! Just follow our © 2012 photographs, description information, and recipe method.
There’s a webcomic site that has a page about “learning to cook” which involves giving up on that idea and repeating the cycle of ordering delivery pizza. If you’d like a chuckle, check it out. The version of made-at-home-pizza we’re suggesting really is a viable alternative for even those who consider themselves a novice cook (or those who are tired, almost out of energy, yet have some cooking experience) to avoid letting food go to waste in the refrigerator; or to succumbing to delivery, frozen, or take-out pizza!
The recipe version we’re sharing has been modified to include some white whole wheat flour, some garlic powder, another Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO- since it is a great source of omega fatty acids), and less salt. You can further modify the recipe by adding some dry herbs to the dough as it mixes, etc. (Photo of pizza wedge © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster).
You’ll want to use a lycopene-rich tomato paste based “tomato sauce” or a tomato paste rich “spaghetti sauce” and you might have some in your refrigerator.
For those who do regularly cook on weekends, possibly you took advantage of Farmers Market specials for the last of the summer season tomatoes to create some homemade sauce. Maybe you make your own spaghetti sauce by mixing up some tomato puree or crushed tomatoes with some tomato paste and maybe even add in some petite diced tomatoes for good measure, plus your own chosen herbs and related seasoning choices to flavor the sauce just the way you like it.
You could also “tweak” some purchased commercial sauce to come up with a “semi-homemade” version that you are comfortable using. Tomato products also typically contain the antioxidants phytoene and phytofluene, which are both colorless carotenoid precursors to lycopene. Anyone who is a fan of a Mediterranean style diet knows how central tomato products are to it–the more antioxidants, the better we like it!
Topping choices for a made-at-home-pizza can include virtually anything and it is up to you what you choose to add.
The pizza variation shown features a lycopene-rich tomato paste based “tomato sauce” along with shredded chicken (you can use convenient canned chicken), reduced fat mozzarella cheese, a sprinkling of an Italian herb blend, and even some pieces of purchased pre-cooked bacon (the type that stores flat in your freezer so you can remove only the amount you need) just to show that once-in-a-while you can splurge a little.
Yes, it’s intentional that we showed a pizza wedge that looks somewhat similar to what a commercially available pizza product might look like (since that is what we are suggesting you replace with a product you make at home), however, there are major differences in both nutritional content and flavor that favor the made-at-home version.
Note that in the made-at-home pizza version, the calories have been cut at least in half compared to the lowest levels found in commercial products; while there is more fiber, great EVOO flavor and omega fatty acids, healthier white meat shredded chicken, yet still some calcium and protein from a better cheese source alternative of reduced fat mozzarella, and as much antioxidant rich tomato-paste-rich tomato sauce as you desire.
Although this pizza is nice topped with some cooked veggies, it just so happens that veggies were available on the side and not on the pizza as photographed. Don’t feel you have to be limited to just cooked onion and pepper strips as shown. There are lots of veggies one can choose from, only limited by your imagination and personal taste preferences. Each wedge section of the pizza could feature a different topping combination including a mixture of veggies to meet preferences of family and/or friends/guests as well. If you’ve made a recent trip to a local Farmers Market or grocery store, you just might have some inspiration waiting for you on a counter top or in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer! (Photo of pepper and onion strips © 2012 and courtesy of our website).
Make It Now At Home Pizza
(Adapted from Pizza Dough I recipe at allrecipes.com)
(Photo of cooked pizza © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
Supplies/Equipment:
- 2 cup (1 pint) see-thru glass measuring cup
- measuring spoon set
- measuring cup set
- 1 large mixing spoon
- 5 qt mixing bowl
- mixing paddle
- stand mixer for mixing bowl
- 1 clean kitchen towel
- cooking spray
- 1 sanitized cutting board
- off-set broad spatula or two to use with cooked pizza
- pizza cutting wheel or other cutting device for cutting pizza into wedges
- 1 – pizza pan with about a 12″ diameter cooking surface size (although exterior rim may be larger)
- 2 silicon hot mitts
- 1 wire cooling rack
- 375° Oven that can take the size pizza pan being used (always check when the oven is still COLD)
- microwave oven (or other way to heat water)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) in a 2 cup glass measuring cup
- 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour (plus extra flour available)
- 1 & 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- additional herbs +/or spices/seasonings as desired
- 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO )
- chosen tomato paste rich tomato sauce/tomato paste rich spaghetti sauce
- chosen toppings (can include all sorts of veggies)
Method:
1. Using the microwave oven, heat cool/cold tap water in glass measuring cup to specified temperature–check with calibrated food thermometer. Add 1 Tbsp granulated white sugar and the room temperature yeast to preheated water, stir with spoon, allow yeast to fully hydrate by covering glass measuring cup with clean kitchen towel and setting mixture aside in a warm spot for at least 5 minutes or a bit longer to “proof” (the mixture should rise & become bubbly). It will rise up in the 2 cup container, so remove the cloth before the bubbles reach the rim of the container (which is why you needed that extra headroom in the container in the first place). (Photo of yeast being proofed © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
(Proofing the Yeast)
2. While the yeast is proofing, combine all dry ingredients in 5 qt mixer bowl of stand mixer. Once yeast is proofed, add it plus the EVOO to the dry ingredients in the bowl, and slowly start to mix on low speed with mixer. The dough should form a large ball around the mixer paddle and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
If it does not do this and is too sticky and is staying on the sides of the bowl, add about 1 Tbsp more flour and finish mixing; (Photo of dough needing more flour © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
dough should then appear to more easily gather together and be a more cohesive mass. (Photo of adding more flour to dough © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
{or should the dough appear to be too dry, add about 1 tsp. more of room temperature water and finish mixing}.
3. Into a pizza pan you have sprayed with canola or other desirable cooking spray, place the pizza dough and pat it/stretch it out somewhat evenly inside the pan getting close to the pan circumference all around. Bake for 5 minutes in the 375° preheated oven. (Photo of uncooked homemade pizza dough in pan © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
4. Remove pan with partially cooked pizza crust from oven. Dough should be slightly colored and it will have visibly risen; place pan on a wire cooling rack. (Photo of partially cooked homemade pizza dough in pan © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
4a. Cover surface of dough with chosen tomato sauce/spaghetti sauce as desired spreading it around to within 1/2 inch of crust edge. (Photo of tomato sauce spread on homemade pizza dough in pan © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
4b. Add chosen toppings as desired, realizing you can visually section the circle off into wedges and add various toppings on each wedge section as you see fit. Other household members, etc., may wish to participate in this activity. (Photo of homemade unbaked pizza in pan © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster)
5. Next finish bake the pizza off at 375°F/190°C for about 20 minutes or until crust is baked through. Remove pizza pan from oven and place onto wire cooling rack, slide pizza off onto clean cutting board (use off-set spatula(s) to help with this step as needed); and cut pizza into wedges using pizza wheel or other cutting device you are comfortable using. (Photo of pizza wedge © 2012 and courtesy of our webmaster).
Often a 12″ pizza is cut into 8 wedges.
Serve pizza wedges while still warm.
As always, promptly and properly refrigerate any leftovers.
Why not give this recipe a try?
You just might be surprised at how easy it really is to prepare this simple & quick “Make It Now” pizza recipe at home!
Enjoy!