The great Italian chef Luigi Portabello once said, “Bread feeds the masses, but pizza feeds the soul!” Okay, maybe I made that up. If there were ever a real-life Luigi Portabello, I’m sure he would agree with that sentiment, as would the rest of us.
The word “pizza” can instantly jolt people out of their deepest stupor. I know I lay awake and hungry as I wrote this. Pizza is a welcome guest at every meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all sorts of snacks in between. But don’t try them all on the same day. That would surely violate the rules of sensitivity.
Yo’ Pizza is for those adventurous enough to make a homemade crust. Yo’ Crust may not win any flavor awards, but it’s reliable and oh-so-easy to make. Nonfat Greek yogurt replaces the water and yeast, eliminating the hassle of water temperature and rising time. The kneading and resting time required is minimal. The crust has a slight sourdough flavor and may be a little healthier than most.
Flatbread pizza is a faster and more convenient way to make a delicious homemade pizza. Flatbread is simply flat bread. Most are unleavened, meaning no leavening agents, such as yeast, are used in the preparation. Many are familiar with the original traditional flatbreads, naan and pita; they make excellent pizza crusts. Delicious artisan flatbreads are now readily available at grocery stores and bakeries. Naan and pita are typically sold in quantities of four and six, allowing for several small, customizable pizzas to be made at once. They are perfect for satisfying guests and picky eaters.
For those who want to use a different crust, the layering and topping ideas in the recipes can be helpful. Pizza for everyone?
Yo’Pizza
I rarely make homemade pizza dough because of the time and hassle of using yeast: water temperature, kneading, rising, raising the temperature, rolling out, repeating the rising process, pre-baking. Before you know it, making a pizza can take half a day. The homemade dough used here avoids most of that. It’s a variation of Weight Watchers’ two-ingredient dough with a few added ingredients to enhance the flavor and texture of the crust. The dough is easy to work with and is nearly instant. You can vary the toppings to your liking.
Ingredients
1 Yo’ pizza crust (see recipe below)
1 cup pizza sauce or marinara
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar or other good melting cheese
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped red pepper or jalapeño pepper
1 cup chopped button mushrooms or button mushrooms
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Cooked meat, sausage or seafood (optional)
Directions
Place the pre-baked crust on a pizza or shallow baking sheet.
Spread remaining ingredients in even layers in order listed, leaving edge bare.
Place on a rack in the lower position of an oven preheated to 425 degrees.
Bake until cheese melts and bottom of crust is lightly browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Yields: A 13 inch pizza
Yo’ Pizza Crust
Making homemade pizza crust is easy, unless you opt for the boxed version, where you just add water. You’ll pay for the convenience of the boxed version with a significant loss in quality. This recipe takes liberties with Weight Watchers’ popular two-ingredient pizza dough by adding a little sugar—oh my! This may be my favorite homemade pizza crust.
Ingredients
1½ cups self-rising flour
¾-1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Additional flour, as needed
Cornmeal (optional)
Directions
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt and mix first with a large spoon, then by hand. Knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and slightly elastic, about 3 to 4 minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary (your hands will feel dirty at first, and they are, but don’t worry, the dough will come together eventually).
Roll the dough into a ball. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Knead a few more times. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (use optional cornmeal in place of flour, if preferred). Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 15-inch round (roll the dough from the center outward).
Place them on a pizza pan or shallow baking sheet and form a 3/4-inch ridge around the edge, reducing the diameter to about 14 inches. Use a fork to poke holes in the crust about every 3/4 inch, except for the ridge. Place them on a rack in the lower position of a 425-degree oven and bake for 16 minutes. Remove from the oven.
To make pizza, arrange your chosen toppings in the order you want them, leaving the top exposed. Bake until cheese melts and bottom of crust is lightly browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Remarks: Substitute 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 2¼ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt for the self-rising flour. Add 2 tablespoons cornmeal to the dry ingredients for a slightly different flavor. Use a 14- to 16-inch round pizza pan or a 17×11-inch shallow baking pan. The dough also makes 2 crusts, each about 9 inches long.
Yields: A 13-inch pizza crust
Flatbread Pizza
Asian-Indian naan bread and Middle Eastern pita bread make excellent pizza crusts. These pizzas are generously topped with seasoned tomato sauce and delicious toppings. Naan and pita bread, usually packaged in packs of four or six, make it easy to make multiple pizzas at once.
Ingredients
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped red pepper or jalapeño pepper
½ cup chopped button mushrooms or button mushrooms
2 naan breads or pita bread
¼ cup pizza, marinara or spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup cooked ground beef, crumbled sausage, or sliced pepperoni
Directions
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chile or jalapeño and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until vegetables are tender but still slightly firm and mushrooms have sweated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Arrange the buns in a single layer on a pizza pan or shallow baking dish. Spread the sauce evenly to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Top the sauce with half the cheese, then the vegetables, remaining cheese, and meat.
Place the pan on a rack in the lower position of a preheated 425-degree oven and bake until the cheese melts and the bottoms of the buns are lightly browned, about 12 minutes.
Remarks: For a quick homemade pizza sauce, combine ¼ cup tomato sauce, ¼ teaspoon each dried oregano, dried basil and garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.
Yields: Two pizzas
Dick Sellers is a freelance writer. Contact him at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com
