Home Made Pizza
When you are very tired and ought to have something filling and mouthwatering at the same time, you only think of is PIZZAAAA!!!!! Everyone has their own version of pizza, be it a veggie pizza, chicken, sausage or just plain cheese pizza. But all these versions have one thing in common which is whole loads of pizza. After a tiring day at work and traveling, when you have no stamina left for cooking, you pick up a phone and order for pizza. These days pizza is the fastest thing that will be delivered than the email. Pizza being originated from Italy is basically an yeasted flatbread which is topped with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice and baked in oven. There are variety of pizza's few of them being thin crust, thick crust, stuffed crust etc. Many variations have been introduced by various franchise's. But the most authentic pizza as per me is the one that has just the pizza sauce, basil and mozzarella. which is also known as "Margherita Pizza". The dish that is popular all over the world does have an interesting history to it. The term pizza was first recorded in the 10th century, in a Latin manuscript from southern Italy town named Gaeta. Pizza was introduced in United States of America with Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. Almost 13% of the US Population consumes pizza on an any given day.
In this recipe I would introduce you to how to make homemade pizza dough. The pizza base is the most essential ingredient to get the pizza going. Its simple, quick and hygienic as well, rather than store bought pizza dough or pizza base.
Ingredients:
For Pizza Dough:
1/2 cup Warm Water
1 tsp sugar
1-11/2 tsp dry yeast
1 cup All purpose flour (Maida)
1 cup Wheat flour
3 tbsp Olive Oil (If not then regular cooking oil will do)
Salt to taste
Water to knead the dough
Toppings: (Your choice)
Pizza Sauce
2 Onions sliced
2 Capsicum sliced
2 Chicken breasts chopped and cooked (Recipe at bottom)
3 Blend cheese (your choice- it could be mozzarella, pepper jack, parmesan, cheddar etc)
1/2 cup Black Olives
Italian Seasoning
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper as per taste
Method:
In a mixing bowl add 1/2 cup warm water, make sure its not boiling. We just need lukewarm water for yeast to activate.
To the warm water add sugar and yeast in mentioned quantity and give it a good mix. Let it rest for 8-10 mins.
The yeast that I used activates in 10 mins if you think the yeast has not activated wait for another 10 mins.
Once the yeast activates as in below mentioned picture add the 1 cup of all purpose flour and 1 cup of regular flour to the mixing bowl.
Add salt as per required and knead it into a nice smooth dough gently. If more water needed then add slowly and carefully without making the dough too gooey. Knead the dough well until all ingredients are well binded.
Add olive oil on the edges of the dough and cover the container with a cling wrap and keep it in warm place for 4-5 hours.
You can heat the microwave, turn it off and then keep the dough in there, or else keep it in oven with the light ON. The appliance should not be working when the dough is inside.
Remove the dough after 5 hours and you will see the dough has risen. Remove the wrap and knead the dough again gently in order to remove the air.
Preheat the oven on bake for 400 degree.
Divide the dough into half, dust the flour on pizza pan an take one half and try spreading it with your hands equally on all sides.
If you find it difficult to spread it directly on the pizza pan, then use a pin roller and roll it out on the kitchen counter and then transfer it to the pizza pan. Take a fork and punch it on the dough gently just to give out air.
Add pizza sauce evenly on the entire pizza dough, sprinkle some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper as per taste.
Add toppings and later cheese as per your choice evenly again.
Put the pan in the oven and keep it in oven for 15-20 mins. Once the cheese melts you are good to remove the pizza.
Cut into equal pieces add chill flakes and serve hot.
Note: Recipe for cooked chicken: Wash and cut chicken breasts in medium sized cubes. In a skillet add 1-2 tbsp oil and add chicken to it. Now the seasoning could be your choice, either salt and pepper, barbecue sauce or salt and cayenne/paprika/red chili powder. Cook until the chicken is well done. Let it cool down and then its ready to be used as a topping for the pizza.
In this recipe I would introduce you to how to make homemade pizza dough. The pizza base is the most essential ingredient to get the pizza going. Its simple, quick and hygienic as well, rather than store bought pizza dough or pizza base.
Ingredients:
For Pizza Dough:
1/2 cup Warm Water
1 tsp sugar
1-11/2 tsp dry yeast
1 cup All purpose flour (Maida)
1 cup Wheat flour
3 tbsp Olive Oil (If not then regular cooking oil will do)
Salt to taste
Water to knead the dough
Toppings: (Your choice)
Pizza Sauce
2 Onions sliced
2 Capsicum sliced
2 Chicken breasts chopped and cooked (Recipe at bottom)
3 Blend cheese (your choice- it could be mozzarella, pepper jack, parmesan, cheddar etc)
1/2 cup Black Olives
Italian Seasoning
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper as per taste
Method:
In a mixing bowl add 1/2 cup warm water, make sure its not boiling. We just need lukewarm water for yeast to activate.
To the warm water add sugar and yeast in mentioned quantity and give it a good mix. Let it rest for 8-10 mins.
The yeast that I used activates in 10 mins if you think the yeast has not activated wait for another 10 mins.
Once the yeast activates as in below mentioned picture add the 1 cup of all purpose flour and 1 cup of regular flour to the mixing bowl.
Add olive oil on the edges of the dough and cover the container with a cling wrap and keep it in warm place for 4-5 hours.
You can heat the microwave, turn it off and then keep the dough in there, or else keep it in oven with the light ON. The appliance should not be working when the dough is inside.
Remove the dough after 5 hours and you will see the dough has risen. Remove the wrap and knead the dough again gently in order to remove the air.
Preheat the oven on bake for 400 degree.
Divide the dough into half, dust the flour on pizza pan an take one half and try spreading it with your hands equally on all sides.
If you find it difficult to spread it directly on the pizza pan, then use a pin roller and roll it out on the kitchen counter and then transfer it to the pizza pan. Take a fork and punch it on the dough gently just to give out air.
Add pizza sauce evenly on the entire pizza dough, sprinkle some Italian seasoning, salt and pepper as per taste.
Add toppings and later cheese as per your choice evenly again.
Put the pan in the oven and keep it in oven for 15-20 mins. Once the cheese melts you are good to remove the pizza.
Cut into equal pieces add chill flakes and serve hot.
Note: Recipe for cooked chicken: Wash and cut chicken breasts in medium sized cubes. In a skillet add 1-2 tbsp oil and add chicken to it. Now the seasoning could be your choice, either salt and pepper, barbecue sauce or salt and cayenne/paprika/red chili powder. Cook until the chicken is well done. Let it cool down and then its ready to be used as a topping for the pizza.
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