My husband got a pizza stone and pizza cook book for christmas and a pizza baker (me) when he got married so last weekend was pizza party time. Pizza stone making it easy to get great crust since it helps the heat to spread evenly. I even used the pizza stone to make grilled sandwiches and mini pizzas.
Making pizza dough is a lot of work because the dough needs a lot of kneeling and working. I finally placed myself in front of the TV and worked it. I made Sicilian thin crust which is a little more work but we love our crusts thin and crispy. I made a tomato sauce that was amazing and actually was part left over tomato sauce from New Years Eve dinner, I just mixed it with chickpeas to add some protein for Isabella plus some spices. I topped the pizzas with vegetables, daila cheese and vegan chorizo. We agreed it was as good as take out pizza which me never do with one vegan who can’t do soy cheese and two lactose intolerant people.
Pizza crust
- 2 cup fine semolina flour
- 1 tsp active yeast
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2/3 cup water, finger warm
- 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbs olive oil
Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix wet ones together. Blend wet and dry carefully together and start working the dough. It need to become very elastic so the more work the better. You can test if it’s done my taking a pieces and making a small log with it and pull each side. if the dough is done you should be able to play around with it without it breaking off. When the dough is worked place it in a oiled bowl and place plastic wrap over. Let it rest on a warm and draft free place for about 1,5 hours until it has doubled in size.
Preheat oven for 425F? and place pizza stone in oven. It must be in the oven for 30 minutes before baking on it. Remove from bowl and punch out the air from the dough. Cut and make two pieces and take one and begin rolling it out to a flat round with the help of a rolling pin on top a parchment paper. Spread the tomato sauce on the round and fold the edges. Place whatever topping you want except the cheese. Place pizza on parchment paper on pizza stone and bake for 5 minutes. Remove and from oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Slide the pizza back on stone and remove paper and bake for about another 10 minutes.
Tomato sauce
- 1 cup of my tomato sauce or use store bought
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
- 1 tbs oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
Blend everything to a puree in a blender or food processor.
Suggestion for toppings:
- cheese
- sliced zucchini
- bell peppers
- sliced tomatoes
- asparagus
- onions
- chorizo
- fake bacon
- olives
- Kale
- Arugula
- Pineapple
