Pizza Pizza

After the bake!

Pizza is my all time favorite food.  The crust and sauce recipes that follow are based on the "America's Test Kitchen" crust and sauce recipes.  I've tried a lot of crust recipes, and a lot of bought crusts, and this is the best one I've had.  Admittedly, this crust is a bit of a job.  The sauce is brain dead easy, but don't let that fool you - the sauce alone can make a wonderful pizza out of just about any crust!

Crust Dry Ingredients

• 16.5 oz bread flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 t yeast

Crust Wet Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups ice cold water
• 1 1/2 t table salt
• 1 T vegetable oil

Pulse the three dry ingredients together until mixed.  Add the 1 1/3 cups of ice cold water while processing until the dough comes together in the food processor.  Let that sit in the processor for 10 minutes.  Then add the 1 1/2 t salt and 1 T vegetable oil and proess again for 30-60 seconds.

Remove the dough only an oiled counter and knead for 60 seconds.  Let rest in the refrigerator in a greased bowl, covered tight for 1-3 days.  This "relaxes" the dough without allowing the yeast to work and produce CO2.

Before the bake!

When ready to use, remove the dough and divide into two shaped balls.  Rest covered on the counter for 1 hour.  On a well floured counter top, shape the dough.  Stretch it to about a 12 inch diameter.  Move the dough to a well floured (or corn mealed) pizza peel and stretch a little bit more to about 13 inches in diameter.  Sauce, top with a mixture of about 1/2 cup parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella, top with whatever toppings you'd like (pepperoni, jalapenos,  mushrooms, onions, sliced tomatoes, etc) and bake in a preheated oven at 500 degrees on a pizza stone on the top rack for 10-12 minutes.

This slice will soon disappear.

Sauce

• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained
• 1 T evoo
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 t table salt
• 1 t oregano
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1 t red wine vinegar

Add all ingredients to a food processor, and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.