The change in the weather has put me in a “gather around the hearth” kind of mood.
That always means food of a more soul-warming nature. Like pizza. Homemade, of course. The activity of making your own creations is really a whole lot of what eating pizza is all about.
You can get a giant head start by using the raw dough from your local pizza parlor. Most establishments will sell it to you at a nominal price, like $2 to $4 for a medium to large glob.
You can pick it up on your way home from the office, or better yet, at any off-hour when there aren’t a bunch of other pizza patrons milling about. They’ll wrap it up for you and it will keep that way in your refrigerator for several hours or even overnight.
Whether you’re entertaining your own brood of energetic children or having an evening with grown-up friends, it’s quite fun to roll and press the dough into shape and then construct the toppings.
Here are three concepts to consider:
A tri-color pizza, constructed of sauteed onion and bell pepper rings, crumbled goat cheese, finely chopped olives or olive paste, chopped fresh oregano, and lightly toasted pine nuts.
Triple cheese pizza, constructed of pesto, fontina, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, as well as thinly sliced Roma tomatoes, and a few fresh basil leaves.
Or a barbecue chicken pizza, with shredded cooked chicken, barbecue sauce, sliced onions and bell peppers, and mozzarella or cheddar cheese.
Specific recipes for these creations are below.
For those trying to watch their diet, consider this “diet pizza” concept: Set the oven to its highest temperature; place a pizza stone in the oven for 30 minutes if you have one. If you don’t, use a baking sheet; the bottom crust just won’t be quite as crunchy and wonderful.
Meanwhile, brush the edges of a thin unbaked pizza crust with olive oil, and cover the top with any combination of seasoned grilled vegetables, seafood and chicken and roasted garlic.
Sprinkle the pizza with a tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, then transfer the pizza to the stone in the oven or onto a baking sheet large enough to accommodate the pizza that has preheated in the oven for 10 minutes.
Cook for about 12 to 14 minutes. You won’t have all the goo of a typical pizza, but you will have something great – and healthful – to eat.
Chicken and bell pepper pizza with barbecue sauce
2cups shredded cooked chicken
1cup spicy or hickory-flavored barbecue sauce
114-inch round of unbaked pizza dough (see note)
1/2medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/3cup thinly sliced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4cup lightly toasted pine nuts
2teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 1/2cups packed shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine chicken and barbecue sauce in small bowl. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes. (Can be prepared up to 12 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate)
Lightly coat a baking pan with vegetable cooking spray, then sprinkle with a bit of cornmeal (optional). Place pizza round on the prepared pan. Spread the chicken mixture over the top, then arrange the onion, bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts over. Sprinkle with oregano. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Finally, spread the cheese evenly over and bake until the crust is golden brown and the topping is golden and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes.
If using a baked shell rather than fresh dough, the oven temperature will remain the same, but decrease the baking time by a few minutes.
Adapted from “Bon Appetit” magazine
Triple cheese pizza
114-inch round of unbaked pizza dough (see note)
1/2cup purchased pesto sauce
1 1/2cups grated Fontina cheese (about 6 ounces)
8plum tomatoes, seeded, thinly sliced
2teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1/2cup grated mozzarella cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a baking pan with vegetable cooking spray, then sprinkle with a bit of cornmeal (optional). Place the pizza round on the prepared pan. Spread pesto over the top, then sprinkle evenly with the Fontina cheese. Arrange tomato slices on top and season with pepper. Sprinkle oregano over the surface, then mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the topping is golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Makes four servings.
If using the baked shell rather than dough, increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, decrease baking time to 10 minutes.
Adapted from “Bon Appetit” magazine
Tricolor pizza
3tablespoons olive oil
1large red onion, thinly sliced
1large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
114-inch round of unbaked pizza dough, see note below
Scant 1/2 cup olive paste (olivada), see note below
About 6 ounces soft mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled
1/4cup chopped fresh oregano
1/4cup lightly toasted pine nuts
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and saute, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. (Can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Let onion mixture stand at room temperature)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a baking pan with vegetable cooking spray, then sprinkle with a bit of cornmeal (optional). Place the pizza round on the prepared pan. Spread with the olive paste, then top with the onion mixture. Sprinkle with the crumbled goat cheese and bake until the cheese softens, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the chopped fresh oregano and toasted pine nuts and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Makes four servings.
If using the baked shell, the oven temperature will remain the same, but the baking time may decrease by about 5 minutes.
Adapted from “Bon Appetit” magazine
Note: Fresh pizza dough is preferable. If you have a favorite pizza parlor that will sell the raw dough to you, that’s great (1 pound of dough will roll and stretch into a 14-inch round). You could also start with a baked cheese pizza crust (such as Boboli); available in the bread section of most supermarkets. The cooking time and heat might need to be adjusted if you use a crust rather than dough. See individual recipes above for more precise directions for each type of pizza.
Note: Olivada is an olive spread available at Italian markets and specialty stores.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, c ookbook author and artist. Readers can contract her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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