It's All About the Pizza Crust

I am testing out all kinds of Thanksgiving recipes, but I thought I would squeeze in one more pizza recipe before I focus on all things about the feast.

So here we go...

Toppings are in important part of the pizza making process, but for those of us who have a major affinity for bread, it is really about the pizza crust!  So this week I experimented a little with the pizza dough.  I decided to mix in some basil and Parmesan.  A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Basil Parmesan Pizza Dough

Making your own pizza dough is really easy.  This dough is a little thicker than a thin pizza, but oh so good!  One day I will master throwing the pizza in the air...it's on my bucket list of things to learn!

To make the pizza dough you will need the following:

1 cup of warm water

1 packet of active dry yeast

1 tsp of honey

2 Tbsps olive oil

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup dry Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsps dried basil

1 tsp salt

cornmeal

Put your yeast in a large bowl and then add the warm water, honey and olive oil.  Stir well and let the yeast activate for about 5 minutes or so.

Add the flour, salt, Parmesan cheese and basil.  Mix the dough with a spoon and then use your hands to incorporate.  Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or a little bit of water if the dough is too dry.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel.  Let it rest for about 1 1/2 hours.

After the dough has rested, begin to roll and stretch it out until it is the size of the pan you plan on using.  Or you could pinch off individual pieces so each person could make their own.  Sprinkle the pan with cornmeal and then place the pizza dough on top.

Add the toppings of your choice and bake for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Pizza with Basil Parmesan Crust

The crust has such a delicious flavor and would really be good on its own as a breadstick.  However, I made the pizza a white pizza in that I did not use any tomato sauce.  I thought it was great, but since the pizza dough is thicker, it tends to be a little drier.  So if you want something more moist, by all means add some pizza sauce.  I added some tomatoes that I still had from the garden, as well as some pepperoni and green pepper.

Take your pizza dough to a whole new level.  Really anything could be added to the dough to change up the crust.  Be experimental!

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet!

Christine