Home made Pizzas in 3 Acts

Made properly, pizza at home can be just as good, and probably better, than the stuff you have delivered. Except for the pizza pan you’ll see later, I tried not use any special equipment, like pizza stones, or exotic ingredients you would have a hard time finding. 

Act 1: The Pizza Dough (Pay attention or you’ll get pizza D’oh!)
In clip one I make a very simple standard pizza dough. It’s amazing how intimidated people are when it comes to making any kind of dough or bread at home. Hopefully this demo will cure that. By the way, I will add ingredients to all these clips so you can have the exact measurements. This is only really crucial for the dough. The sauce recipe and final pizza can be varied as you see fit. So, let’s get this Pizza party started right! The key to a great pizza dough is a moist, sticky dough. We only want enough flour to be able to work with the dough…too much flour will result in a dry, tough pizza.The “Sponge”:

2 teaspoons dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2/3 cup bread flour
The Rest of the Dry Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Act 2: The Pizza Sauce

The sauce for our pizza is also very simple. A fast and tasty base for whatever wonderfully creative toppings we decide to go with later. This is an important point. If you’re going to top the pizza with lots of spicy and/or salty ingredients, your sauce better be fairly basic. Regardless, this quick, homemade sauce will destroy any canned grocery store sauce, as well as most pizzerias. By the way, I’m giving away an ancient family secret in this clip, so pay attention, my Grandmother is watching from pizza sauce heaven!1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28 oz) “San Marzano” if possible!
3 cloves garlic
2 tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1/2 tsp dried Italian herb mix (basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, etc.)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
pinch sugarsmall pinch baking soda (shhh)
Act 3: The Pizza

OK, so I’m not giving a list of ingredients for the finished pizza. You know what you like. But, here are a few key mistakes most people make when doing pizza at home. They put too much sauce. They put too much cheese. They put too many toppings and when they try to eat it, it all slides off on to the floor and all their left with is a wet piece of steaming bread. Don’t be that person. Watch me restrain myself and also watch how my pizza pie ends up being the shape of a heart. Wow, what a great Valentines gift idea for you guys out there…make your lady a heart shaped pizza! By the way, go to the local Bed, Bath and Beyond, or other kitchen wares store, and get one of the pizza pans with holes in it that I used in this clip. It really makes crispy crust a reality without the 70 pound pizza stone that you probably aren’t going to pull out of the bottom cupboard anyway.
 

Bread and Egg Pizzas - Essentially Delicious

I know what some of you are thinking. Eggs are for breakfast, and pizza is for dinner, and never the twain shall meet. I used to think like that. There was a time, early in my career, when I was a culinary fundamentalist. Chocolate was a candy, and not something one added to a sauce for short ribs (see post below). But, like all fundamentalists, I was missing out on a lot of pleasure. So, if your rigid belief system prevents you from giving this pizza a spin, then it's your loss. This is a truly magnificent pizza.I first saw pizza topped with eggs in the Chez Panisse Café cookbook. Alice Waters, the chef of Chez Panisse, and one of my personal heroes, used eggs to top a similar pizza using proscuitto instead of sausage. I decided to try it, and it was a transcendent experience. The golden yolks oozing slowly over the spicy sausage and melted cheese is TDF (to die for). I hope you give this a try. Which reminds me to warn you that it may take a few tries to achieve the perfectly cooked eggs. But, when you do, there is bliss. Enjoy.Ingredients:
Ingredients:
pizza dough (enough for 1 large pizza), brought to room temperature
2 tbsp cornmeal
3/4 cup pizza sauce
red pepper flakes (optional)
6-oz shredded fontina cheese (may substitute mozzarella, or Monterey Jack)
6-oz hot or mild Italian sausage, sliced, cooked, drained
4 whole eggs
black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
baby arugula, washed and dried
olive oil

Awesome Don't forget your asparagus Pizzas - Figure It Out

This is a picture of last nights dinner (and this mornings breakfast!). It was every bit as good as it looks. I didn't film it, but I have re-posted my pizza dough and white sauce video recipes so you can make this beautiful spring pizza. Keep in mind that these clips are from a while ago, before I got any real equipment, so save the "these videos look like crap" comments...I know they do. By the way, this is called a "white" pizza for obvious reasons, and a very nice break from the typical tomato-based pies.
A few words of instruction:
The pizza dough recipe will make enough for 1 large pan like you see here. In the video, I divide it into 6 small balls for individual pizzas, but you can use it all for this, or adjust to your pan size.
You only need 1 cup of white sauce, but make a whole batch, it's a good thing to have around forbroccoli gratins, souffles, or just some mac and cheese.Here is what I used for this pizza:
1 batch of dough
some cornmeal for the pan
1 pound of asparagus, cut and boiled for 1 minute
1 cup of bechamel (white sauce) to which I added 1/3 cup grated parmesan
4 oz shredded white cheddar
1/3 cup parmesan for the top
I put the cornmeal and dough down. Then the sauce, the asparagus, and topped it with the cheeses. Baked it for 17 minutes at 450 degrees F.

Spud Pesto Pizzas - Hot Starch-on-Starch Action!

One of the cardinal sins of menu planning is putting two starches together on a plate. There are a few exceptions, like Thanksgiving stuffing and mashed potatoes, or potato and macaroni salad at the company picnic, but it's just not something that's usually done.
There have been stories of crazed chefs (redundant?) that have refused a customer's request for a side of rice because they had ordered pasta. That's why I've posted the extra bonus clip below. It's from the must-see movie Big Night. I've posted it here a long time ago, but I never get tired of it, and it's fitting for today's recipe.Today's video recipe is a potato pizza with pesto, red onions, feta and much, much more. While it may sound odd on paper (or screen), it's quite delicious, and makes a good case for exceptions to the no starch-with-starch rule. Besides, it was a request from my mother-in-law, so what could I say? Enjoy!Ingredients in order of appearance:
cornmeal on pan
stretch pizza dough to cover
pesto sauce to cover
4 roasted gold potatoes, sliced
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
parmesan to cover
6 oz fontina cheese
1/2 sliced red onion
more pesto dripped on top
4 oz feta cheese crumbled on top

Pumpkin Seeds Flatbread with Feta and Lovely Red onion - A Delightful Strategy to Sleeplessness, Stress, and Worry of Community Speaking!

When I filmed this video recipe for a pumpkin seed flatbread, I thought I had just found a delicious and relatively healthy way for my viewers to enjoy raw pumpkin seeds. I had heard they were a very nutritious snack, and wanted to try them, instead of pinenuts, on various recipes. Little did I know, I was really inventing an alternative medicine treatment.
That's right, as I researched the health benefits of these pretty green seeds, I discovered that not only did they have lots of nutritional benefits, but also contained large amounts of tryptophan, yes, that tryptophan, the "turkey valium" that you read about every year. While that nap you take after the thanksgiving meal is probably more from the massive amount of starchy food, than the tryptophan, there is a definite sleep/relaxation connection, as it aids in the brain's production of serotonin.When I filmed this video recipe for a pumpkin seed flatbread, I thought I had just found a delicious and relatively healthy way for my viewers to enjoy raw pumpkin seeds. I had heard they were a very nutritious snack, and wanted to try them, instead of pinenuts, on various recipes. Little did I know, I was really inventing an alternative medicine treatment.
That's right, as I researched the health benefits of these pretty green seeds, I discovered that not only did they have lots of nutritional benefits, but also contained large amounts of tryptophan, yes, that tryptophan, the "turkey valium" that you read about every year. While that nap you take after the thanksgiving meal is probably more from the massive amount of starchy food, than the tryptophan, there is a definite sleep/relaxation connection, as it aids in the brain's production of serotonin.Ingredients:
cornmeal
prepared pizza dough (enough for 1 large thin pizza)
1 large onion
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
black pepper
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, or as much as you like
4 oz Greek feta
1/3 cup Parmesan

Clean Tomato, Clean Tulsi, Clean Mozzarella Pizzas - Before and After

El Paso Pizzas - Alliteration and Regional Comfort Never Sampled So Good

I did something today that has always bothered me when done by large food corporations; I named a recipe based solely on geography and alliteration. This video recipe for a Tex-Mex style pizza was called "El Paso Pizza" because Paso and Pizza both start with P's, and El Paso is in Texas. I've never been to El Paso, nor do I have any knowledge about their pizza - if they even eat pizza.
Not many people realize that there are absolutely no laws or guidelines on the authenticity of food packaging names, claims, and histories. Those cute little stories that you always see on the back of labels about how Aunt Tillie invented her "Bakersfield Brownies" during the Depression, using chocolate smuggled into to the country by trained hawks. It's all made up. The name, the location, the part about the hawks - all invented in some marketing meeting.I realize that none of you really care why this is called El Paso pizza, but I wanted to call your attention to the whole "amazing but true story behind the name" scam at the supermarket. Just another reason not to buy prepared foods! Anyway, this video recipe is quite tasty and a great idea when you can't decide whether to have pizza or tacos.
In the video I mention to try and use grass-fed beef, which is now available, ground in one-pound packages, at most major supermarkets. Here is a link that explains the manyhealth benefits of this, over the conventional corn-fed beef.I'm also linking to the Pizza Dough video, in case you want to make your own. Enjoy!Ingredients:
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle pepper - more if you likes it spicy
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup sliced Poblano pepper, or Anaheim, or other green peppers
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
4 oz pepper Jack cheese
one crust or pizza dough for a large pizza

No-Knead Mania Makes Formerly Published Pizzas Money a Dinosaur

My love for the no-knead method has now been extended to my pizza dough recipe. You know the saying, "if it's not broken, don't fix it?" Well, when it comes to my pizza dough I'm glad I ignored that chestnut.
My pizza dough recipe wasn't broken, but I fixed it anyway, and am very glad I did. As I expected,the magic that is no-knead bread, adaptedbeautifully to this purpose.After one day, and almost no effort, I had enough soft, and supple dough for 2 regular, or 4 small pizzas. As you see in the video recipe, I ended up making a "white" garlic pizza, which was one of my childhood favorites as prepared by my grandmother.This pizza, made from not much more than garlic, olive oil, and cheese, really shows off the character of the dough. Give thisdough a try, and maybe even give white pizza a spin. Enjoy!Dough Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup wheat flour
2 1/2 cups AP flour
cornmeal as needed 

Wolfgang Puck's Popular Florida Pizzas Dough

One product of my recent online interview with Wolfgang Puckwas being given his pizza doughrecipe to publish on my American Food site on About.com. I don't think this recipe is any kind of secret, and I'm sure it's been published many times, but I had never personally tried it, so I decided to do this recipe video and check out this iconic dough for myself.
As I read the recipe, I noticed the times were very short for the rising and proofing. I was a little suspicious, but hey, he's Wolfgang Puck and I'm not. I believe the honey in the dough, which feeds the yeast (sugar is to yeast, as anonymity is to bravery online), as well as the very warm water both contributed to the yeasts very rapid growth.
In just 35 minutes the dough had doubled beautifully -- it was soft, supple, and very subtly scented with honey. As you'll see in the video, this is a very quick and easy pizza dough recipe, and I was very happy with the results. I think this Wolfgang Puck guy may have a future.Even though I already have a couple pizza dough recipes that I love and use (both posted online), you never want to get to a point in your cooking where you think you've found the "best" recipe for something, and not try other variations. This is the fatal flaw of many cooks and chefs.
Thanks to Wolfgang Puck for his recipe, and I hope you all give this a try. Enjoy!Ingredients:
1 package dry active yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
toppings of your choice

A Piece of Life

The rain finally stopped this afternoon, so I went for a nice long walk through the City. I was traveling through Little Italy when I happened upon Lombardi's.
I have seen this on countless food and history channel shows, as it claims to be the "original" NYC pizzeria.
I have received dozens of pizza recommendations from viewers and twitter followers, but since I was standing right there (and hungry) I decided to grab a small pepperoni and take care of dinner and breakfast with one twenty-dollar bill.The super-heated coal-fired oven gave the impossibly thin crust a great crisp, chewy texture that is the hallmark of New York's famous pies. It was delicious, but I won't call it the "best" yet, since I still have a couple days to sample.Tomorrow I start a "seven video recipes in 48 hours" job in Brooklyn, which I've heard, from more than one person, is home to the best pizza anywhere. We shall see. By the way, on the same street as Lombardi's I saw "Rice to Riches," a place that just serves rice pudding. Dozens of kinds of rice pudding, and that's it.
I may have to check it out before I leave, and report back. Stay tuned!

No-Knead Pizzas Money The Remix

When I posted the no-knead ciabatta bread video last January, I had no idea it would become one of the most watched, most commented-on, and most loved recipes on the blog. So it came as a little bit of a shock when the no-knead pizza dough, which used the same basic technique, did not garner the same outpouring of love.
Many thought it was just too wet, sticky, and hard to work with. Personally, I didn’t have an issue with it, but that's because I have lots of experience, and I know how to use extra flour and a light touch to form the pizzas without any major problems. Unfortunately, for most viewers that was not the case.
So I went back to the drawing board. This new and improved version is less sticky and much easier to work with, yet still produces a very nice pizza crust – flavorful, tender, with just the right amount of chewiness.Of course the most important feature has not changed – you still don't knead it. There are plenty of websites out there that will explain, in excruciating detail, why exactly this works, but long story short, the tiny amount of yeast grows and ferments very slowly, and it's this long rising time that allows for the gluten strands to form.
Anyway, whether you tried the original no-knead pizza dough recipe and struggled with it, or you are attempting this for the first time, I'm confident you will be very happy with the results. Enjoy!No-Knead Pizza Dough Ingredients:
2 oz whole wheat flour
16 oz all-purpose flour
*about 4 cups total
1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsps olive oil
1 1/2 cups warm water, if possible, use bottled water as chlorinated water can retard the yeast growth
cornmeal as needed
Note: Rising times will vary based on the temperature. It should probably go at least 14 hours to develop enough gluten, but could take as long as 24 hours to double in size. 

Pizzas Marinade – Let’s Perform ‘Hide the Little Fish’

 I can assure you that the anchovies in this pizza sauce recipe are there for the subtle saltiness and unique savoriness they provide, and not just so you can tell your friend (the one who reallyhates anchovies) that they just ate some. Could it be for both? Sure.

This pizza sauce recipe represents a new and improved version of the one we posted way back in 2007. We snuck in some of the aforementioned fish, and we’re also using both fresh and dried oregano. I love this sauce. If there’s a tastier, all-purpose pizza sauce recipe out there, I haven’t tried it.Convention wisdom says that great pizza is all about the crust. Which is certainly a huge factor, but if you were given the choice between a great crust topped with a bad sauce, and a grocery store crust made with a delicious, world-class sauce, Texture aside, no mater how they're combined, flour, water, and yeast can only taste so bad. But, a terrible sauce can actually make a slice of pizza inedible. I can’t remember ever not eating a piece of pizza because the crust was so awful, but I've given up after biting into an inferior sauce before.

Of course, around these parts the argument is completely academic since we’ve not only provided you with a plan for perfect sauce, but given you several great pizza dough recipes, like our famous no-knead pizza dough, as well as the venerable Wolfgang Puck California-style dough recipe. I hope you make pizza soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients (makes about 3 cups):

3 tbsp olive oil

2 anchovy filets

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 can (28 oz) whole peeled “San Marzano” tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

very small pinch baking soda

This Don't forget your asparagus, Ham, and Ricotta Pizzas Has a Really Awesome Personality

That’s what I’d say about this delicious asparagus, ham, and ricotta pizza if I were trying to fix it up on a blind date. Every once in a while I get a craving for a non-tomato sauce, or “white” pizza, and when I do, I’m forced to choose between béchamel and an olive oil base.

I love both styles, but was in the mood for something different, so I decided to use some ricotta and olive oil to make a spread, which I topped with smoked ham, asparagus, white cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It tasted great, but I found its appearance to be somewhat unsightly.

I knew the ricotta and olive oil would separate somewhat in the extra hot oven, but I thought with the other cheeses on top, it wouldn’t be noticeable, but as you can see, it was. The good news is, no one seems to mind, and it did taste great. By the way, you can certainly do a less rich, lower cal version by just using seasoned ricotta without the oil.

Anyway, “new pizza ideas” is always a popular food wish, and I hope this ricotta spread inspires lots of pizza experimentation in your kitchen. If you need a pizza dough recipe, I used this great no-knead version, but if you prefer something faster, this Wolfgang Puck-inspired recipe is also a winner. Enjoy!Ingredients:

For the spread:

1/2 cup ricotta

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp cream or milk

2 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flakes

fresh herbs if so desired

pizza dough for one medium pizza

1 cup asparagus pieces

1/2 cup diced smoked ham

1/2 cup shredded white cheddar

1 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano as needed

Nationwide Pizzas Month Sure, Why Not

That's right, apparently October is National Pizza Month, and to celebrate I'm sharing these links to some of our most popular pizza-related posts. Both pizza doughs, the no-knead, and Wolfgang Puck's classic California-style, get rave reviews, and are easy to master, even for a beginner.
Of course, man cannot live by crust alone, so you'll also need some sauce, a few creative topping ideas, and a brilliant technique to reheat those cold, leftover slices. You know the drill; simply click the links to watch/read the original recipe post. Enjoy!
No-Knead Pizza Dough
So easy and fun to make, unless you like kneading, then maybe not so much.
Wolfgang's California Pizza Dough
The original chef-to-the-stars shares this very user-friendly, all-purpose pizza dough recipe.
Pizza Sauce
Pizza sauce is almost as important as the dough, so don't even think about using something straight from the can.
Asparagus, Ham, and Ricotta Pizza 
I generally don't like a lot vegetables on my pizza, since that's what salads are for, but asparagus with ham and ricotta is another story altogether.
Sausage and Egg Pizza
Eggs on pizza? Yes, yes, and yes. Yes.
Potato Pesto Pizza
Do you love pizza, but wish it had more carbs? Well, this potato-topped pesto pizza is just what the "doctor" ordered.
How to Reheat Pizza
This went viral for a reason. Simply put, this method produces a better slice of pizza than when it was first made.

Focaccia di Recco – Dealing with Myself

When I treat myself to a personal “food wish,” it’s usually something I’ve eaten out and become obsessed over, and this episode is a classic case. There’s a Ligurian restaurant called Farina near us, and I’ve become a full-blown focaccia di Recco stalker. 
After watching them make it in front of me so many times, I had to give it a try. It doesn’t look like the focaccia most of us are used to, but come to find out, “focaccia” simply means any flatbread cooked in a hearth, and varies region to region.This particular example hails from Recco, and is nothing more than some Stracchino cheese trapped in between two, super-thin layers of dough. The dough is nothing more than flour, water, olive oil, and salt; but thanks to a very hot oven, and this probably ancient technique, some serious flatbread magic happens.
As I confess in the video, I was scared to use too much cheese, but I’ll use more next time. At Farina, you can see a thin layer of the molten Stracchino oozing out between the layers. My Crescenza cheese was basically absorbed, but while you couldn’t see it, you could certainly taste it, and it was amazing.The obvious question is, can you add other fillings to this? Yes, but don’t. It’s perfect…as long as you find the cheese. Please, find the cheese (no substitutions will be offered #toughlove). 
 By the way, I’m officially recommending the quarter sheet pan seen herein, which is what they use in the restaurant, but I think a round tart pan would work as well. In fact, from what I see online, the round pan seems to be the standard. I can’t wait to try this again, and sincerely hope you give it go as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 small or 1 large Focaccia di Recco (Tip for first timers: Make a double batch of dough so you have plenty to work with!)

*2 cups all-purpose flour (9.5 by weight)

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water           

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp fine salt

*use enough flour to form a soft, but not too sticky dough. Knead for about 5-6 minutes to from a smooth, elastic dough. Let rest 1 hour at room temp.

12 oz Crescenza or Stracchino cheese (6 oz for each focaccia) 
extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, to taste for the top

Bake at 500 degrees F.for about 6-7 minutes, or until well-browned

Cauliflower Pizzas Crusting – Don’t Let the Name Deceive You

The major problem with this cauliflower pizza crust is that there’s already something called pizza. If you’d never heard about pizza before, and someone served this to you, I think you’d really enjoy it. 
Unfortunately, we’ve all had pizza before, and so this will invariably be compared to the awesomeness of the real thing. You know, sort of like what happens to deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza (said the New Yorker). Regardless, this was very tasty, pleasantly textured, and contains almost no carbs – in case you’re into one of those alternative lifestyles. For the cheese, I decided on goat after seeing this recipe on Detoxinista. All kinds of cheeses are used for this technique, usually mozzarella and something else, but I figured the tart chèvre would best simulate the fermented dough of a classic pizza. Another important tip is to make sure you use parchment paper. Because of the moisture and cheese, this stuff can stick to foil, but nothing sticks to parchment, which is obviously a key here. You can find it next to the foil and plastic wraps in any large grocery store. Texture aside, the flavor of this final product was very pizza-like, and I’ll be doing further experiments to be sure. By the way, if you have a version that’s clearly superior to this one, feel free to share. Otherwise, I hope you give this cauliflower crust pizza a try soon. Enjoy!Ingredients for one 10-inch pizza crust:1 head cauliflower (about 3 packed cups ground)1/2 cup water

- Cook cauliflower with water for 5-6 minutes, let cool, and squeeze out ALL water with a towel. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of dry cauliflower pulp left.

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about a 1-1/2 inch square grated)

2 ounces fresh goat cheese

cayenne to taste

1 large egg