Best Easy Pizza In A Pinch Recipes

PERFECT PIZZERIA PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes. ( Make sure it foams. If it doesn't foam, your yeast may be outdated.)
• 2. In bowl of food processor fitted with large blade, combine flour and salt. Pulse 3-4 times. With motor running (on dough setting, if you have one) slowly add yeast mixture, allowing each addition to mix before adding the next. Continue processing until dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl. After the ball forms and cleans the sides, process for a few more minutes. If dough seems dry, add warm water 1/2 TB. at a time until a ball forms. If it's too wet (ball of dough doesn't form) add flour 1/2 TB. at a time. You will know you have the right consistency when the dough ball forms, the dough ball cleans the sides of the bowl and the dough is as smooth as a baby's bottom. =) If it's not a really smooth dough ball, return it to the bowl and follow instructions for too wet or too dry above.
• 3. Coat inside of large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl. Turn once to coat and cover with sprayed saran wrap. Set in warm place and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
• 4. After 1 1/2 hours, your beautiful dough is ready to be placed on a 16 inch pizza pan oiled with 1 TB. of olive oil. (Can sprinkle with yellow corn meal, if you wish.) Press evenly to sides of pan. Don't leave the dough too thick. Add your desired toppings and bake at 400 degrees. No par-baking required. The photo at left is my BLT Pizza... Perfect crust every time!
• 5. *** I like to warm a few TB. of olive oil with a halved garlic clove in the micro until very warm and then brush this on the crust right when it comes out of the oven. Yum!
• 6. ~Just A Few Tips On Yeast Doughs~ ( ...or why it took me so many years of making bad pizza dough. lol) I sure can't speak for everyone, but I made some kind of dumb mistakes (...over and over) when attempting yeast doughs. Let me go over a few so that it won't take you as long to figure it out as me. I am by no means an expert yeast bread maker. There are many outstanding cooks on here who could run circles 'round me. But, I was making some very common, newbie mistakes and it took me awhile to get my act together. So here goes... * Water temp is very important! Too hot or too cold and your dough will not rise and your pizza crust will be hard and chewy. Think very warm bath water. * YES, you do have to proof your yeast. Always. lol Give those little guys a warm bath with a little sugar and you will "wake them up" so that they are ready to get to work on your dough. If it bubbles, your yeast is happy as can be and ready to get to work. No bubbles? Stop right there. Your yeast is either old, or your water temp is off. Buy fresh yeast for the best result. (Throw out the stuff from 3 Christmases ago!) * Use Red Star "Quick-Rise" Yeast. It's wonderful and forgiving if your water temp is too high, another of my newbie mistakes. Not a paid spokesperson and I own no stock in the company (...but I wish I did. Red Star... Give me a call and we'll talk... lol.) * Allow enough time for the dough to rise! If the recipe says rise for 1 hour, it means 1 hour... not 30, 35, 40 minutes. If you don't have time to let it rise, but figure it will be okay anyway, it won't. Save the recipe for another day. * Use the right size pan. If the dough is for a 16 inch pan and you use a 12 inch pan and figure that it's fine... nope. Smaller the pan, thicker the dough. Thick dough equals "bready" crust. Too thin it can be too thin to hold up and may burn. Just like The Three Bears... not too thick and not too thin. Medium is just right. Happy Pizza Making! Peg =)

EASY FRIDAY NIGHT PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. Combine 2 C. flour and all other ingredients in a KitchedAid mixer with bread hook attatchment. Mix well, adding enough flour to make a soft dough. Total mixing time should be 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
• 2. Roll dough out on a floured surface in a circle about 1/2 inch larger than your pizza pan. You can make it as thin or thick as you want. Place on your greased pizza pan, add toppings and bake at 400 degrees for 10 min. (thin crust) up to 20 min. (thick crust). Family pizza night is on!

EASY PIZZA IN A PINCH

Steps:

• To make the sauce, combine tomato sauce, garlic, 3 teaspoons herbs, paprika, salt and pepper in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
• When sauce bubbles, reduce to a low simmer and stir. Cover and allow to simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.
• Crumble Italian sausage in a pan and cook over medium heat until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain over paper towels. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix olive oil, garlic and 1 teaspoon herb blend in a small bowl.
• Open hot dog buns and arrange on sheet pans covered in foil.
• Separate buns in halves along the folds if you want to make 16 appetizers; leave whole if you want to make 8 pizzas.
• Brush the buns with the olive oil mixture.
• Toast buns in the oven for about 5 minutes, just until edges begin to brown.
• Remove pan from oven and spread each of the buns with the warm tomato sauce.
• Top with browned Italian sausage, pepperoni slices, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Return pan to the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling.
• Serve garnished with fresh oregano leaves and crushed red pepper, if desired.