Homemade Pizza To Die For

Emma and Jake's pizzas.  Em had shaved brussel sprouts on hers and she said it was
amazing!

A week or so ago I received my Bon Appetit magazine in the mail.  The cover photo struck my fancy right off the bat.  It was a picture of a rustic homemade pizza that looked yummy!  The caption of the front said something to the effect of, "Make amazing homemade pizza at home with a crust that will know your socks off!"  It didn't say the whole "knock your socks off"  but you get the general idea.  The article started on pg. 64, and I couldn't wait to get there.  I ripped a few other recipes out of the mag before I got to the pizza recipe, but once I started reading about the pizza, who cared what else was in the magazine.

I usually find at least one gem of a recipe in almost all of my cookbooks or magazines, but this pizza dough recipe is worth 20 years of subscriptions!  It's good!  It's delish!  It made me the happiest girl or boy in town!

The recipe was written by the same guy who created my favorite bread recipe.  (You've got to try the bread recipe too if you haven't yet. )  The recipe was so simple I wondered if it would be as good as professed.  Yep!  You'll be having pizza night this weekend with your fam, or all your brothers and their wives, or your favorite neighbors.  And they will all go home thinking that they have never eaten something so delicious.  I'm still dreaming about my pizza.  I'm dreaming of James' pizza too.  He made two for himself.  He can do that, and still keep his girlish figure.  Lucky man!  (Actually lucky me!!)

Get creative with the toppings.  Of course we always have the old pepperoni and cheese standby stuff, but we pulled out some interesting stuff this time.  The pizza I was imagining had a little sweet and a salad on top.  It was the best darn thing I think I've ever eaten!  I chose to top my pizza pretty simply.

a tiny little smear of Olive Oil

Prosciutto (just a fancy ham- you can totally do regular ham or bacon)

Blue Cheese crumbles

fresh pears

The Lisa concoction.  Olive Oil, prosciutto, blue cheese and pears.

With the salad and shave Parmesan cheese on top.  SO stinking good!

After my pizza came out of the oven I topped it with salad.  It had some Spring Mix and drizzled it with a little bit of this dressing.  Any vinaigrette would work.  It was so tasty!    My other favorite pizza is just a plain old Marguerite Pizza.  A little smear of tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.  It's so simple and yummy!

So I promise you will love this pizza recipe.  It has officially become my ONLY pizza recipe.  I can only imagine the breadsticks out of this!  Served in a mason jar with some Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.  Yep!  Enjoy, and let me know how it turns out!!  And a big humongous thanks to Bon Appetite Magazine for producing such a great article.  I will love your guts FOREVER!

"This dough is chewy, bubbly, and better than what you'll get at most pizza places. It bakes wonderfully in a home oven, on a pizza stone or a baking sheet. And thanks to the brilliant no-knead method of Jim Lahey—owner of New York's Sullivan Street Bakery and pizza spot Co.— it's easy to prepare, deriving its character from overnight fermentation, not laborious kneading. Just remember to start at least 1 day ahead." Bon Appetit

Sullivan Street No Knead Pizza Dough

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine Mar. 2012

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups (1000 grams) all-purpose flour plus more for shaping dough

4 teaspoons fine sea salt plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

3 c. warm water

Toppings (create your own)

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, undrained, puréed or crushed by hand

16 ounces fresh mozzarella

pepperoni

pears

blue cheese

tomatoes

basil..........................you get the idea

Preparation

Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 3 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature (about 72°) in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, about 18 hours (time will vary depending on the temperature in the room).

Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 6 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions.

Let dough rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap each dough ball separately in plastic wrap and chill. Unwrap and let rest at room temperature on a lightly floured work surface, covered with plastic wrap, for 2–3 hours before shaping.

To Make the Pizzas

During the last hour of dough's resting, prepare oven: If using a pizza stone, arrange a rack in upper third of oven and place stone on rack; preheat oven to its hottest setting, 500°–550°, for 1 hour. If using a baking sheet, arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to its hottest setting, 500°–550°. (You do not need to preheat the baking sheet.)

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough generously with flour and place on a floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a 10"–12" disk.

If using a pizza stone: When ready to bake, increase oven heat to broil. Sprinkle a pizza peel or rimless (or inverted rimmed) baking sheet lightly with flour. Place dough disk on prepared peel and spread about 3 Tbsp. crushed tomatoes over dough. Tear or crumble some mozzarella over top. Using small, quick back-and-forth movements, slide pizza from peel onto hot pizza stone. *(Here's my tip inserted here.  I didn't use a pizza peel or a pizza stone.  We formed our pizzas on a silver cookie sheet and called it good.  They turned out amazing and crisp and blistered.  So don't worry if you don't have a pizza stone.)  Broil pizza, rotating halfway, until bottom of crust is crisp and top is blistered, 5–7 minutes. Using peel, transfer to a work surface.  Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt. Slice pizza. Repeat, allowing pizza stone to reheat under broiler for 5 minutes between pizzas.

If using a baking sheet: Arrange dough disk on baking sheet; top with tomatoes and mozzarella. Bake pizza until bottom of crust is crisp and top is blistered, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a work surface. Garnish pizza and slice. Repeat with remaining pizzas.