Cooking With Kristin

Mama Mia! Who doesn’t like a good for the dough: pizza?!? Of course, we Americans enjoy a 3/4 cup pizza pie, but the Norwegians hold the lukewarm water distinct honor of devouring more pizza 1 teaspoon active dry yeast than any other country. Whether you’re 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading Norske, Italian, or Minnesotan, pizza is 3/4 teaspoon salt popular. Here are a few of my favorite 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided recipes that are perfect pizza perfections! Ciao! For the toppings: 1/2 cup pizza sauce, such as classic red sauce or

I vividly recall the aroma of the pizza day at my a white sauce elementary school which signaled that a delicious meal was about to ensue. Those rectangles of goodness dotted with sausage brought happiness to me and still do to this day. My daughter made this recipe for the family, and it 1 to 2 cups shredded cheese: one or a combination of mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, fontina, Romano, or asiago cheese harkened me right back to the cafeteria and that tasty pizza. If topping options: sautéed onions or mushrooms, sliced red pepyou want to relive a bit of your childhood, give this recipe a try. pers, pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, etc. School Cafeteria Pizza Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven, place a rimmed https://www.plainchicken.com/school-cafeteria-pizza/ baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450 degrees. 1 tablespoon shortening Meanwhile, make the dough. Pour the water into a medium 1-1/2 tablespoons cornmeal bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until the 1 (0.25-oz.) packet of yeast yeast is dissolved and foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and 1-2/3 cups water salt. Mix with a stiff spatula or wooden spoon until floury, shaggy 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour dough forms. Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead until 3/4 cup instant non-fat dry milk powder it forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball that springs back when you 2 tablespoons sugar poke it, 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough sticks to your hands like 1/4 teaspoon salt bubblegum, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it›s easier to 1-1/2 teaspoons oil work with; avoid adding too much flour if possible. Cover the 1-1/3 cups pizza sauce, or to taste dough with the upside-down bowl or a clean kitchen towel and 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste let sit while you prepare the pizza toppings, about 10 minutes. pizza toppings of your choice Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with one piece

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Oil a half sheet pan with 1 table- of dough at a time, stretch or roll it into a thin, 10- to 12-inch spoon shortening. Sprinkle pan with cornmeal and set aside. round. Form from the middle of the dough outwards, using the Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand for 4 to 5 minutes in heel of your hand to gently press and stretch the dough until it›s the bowl. Add flour milk, sugar, salt, and oil to the bowl. Mix for about a 1/4-inch thick or less. For an extra-thin crust, roll it with 10 minutes. The batter may be lumpy. a rolling pin. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5

Spread batter into the prepared pan and let rest for 20 minminutes, and then try rolling again. utes. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and Carefully remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven top with sauce, toppings, and cheese. and place it upside down on a wire rack. Transfer the dough Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and brown. Slice and serve. directly onto the upside-down baking sheet. Brush the dough with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Spread 1/4 cup sauce into a thin layer of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle on the cheese and n other toppings. Bake until the crust is golden-brown, and the Calling all thin crust pizza fans, this is your recipe. It’s fast, delicious and crispy! Thin-Crust Pizza cheese is melted and browned in spots, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings. The Best Homemade Thin-Crust Pizza (thekitchn.com) n For those thick-crust folks, here’s a recipe we use at our house all the time. The chewy crust is supreme, and the taste is superbly splendid.

COOKING WITH KRISTIN By Kristin Kveno

The Absolute Best Thick Crust Pizza Dough Recipe

(andreasnotebook.com) dough: 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 cup warm water 1 tablespoon olive oil pizza toppings: 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, parsley) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder dash salt 1/2 cup tomato pizza sauce 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Combine the first four dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine water and oil, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix by hand, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth elastic dough. Grease a bowl with olive oil and put the ball of dough in it. Toss it around to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise 20 minutes.

Grease a 12” or 16” pizza pan and spread the dough out with your hands on the pan. Don’t use a rolling pin. Let rise for 15 more minutes. Top pizza with olive oil, Italian spices, garlic powder, salt. Then add your favorite pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, toppings and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 11-15 minutes.

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Can you ever really have enough cheese on a pizza? I know I can’t; that’s why I love this recipe, as it calls for cheese stuffed in the crust. That brings me back to when I first tried stuffed crust pizza at Pizza Hut in the mid-1990s. I loved stuffed crust right from the beginning and still do. Stuffed Crust Pizza

How to Make Stuffed Crust Pizza - Sally’s Baking Addiction (sallysbakingaddiction.com) pizza dough 7 string cheese sticks, unwrapped 1/2 cup pizza sauce, or more depending on how much you like (homemade or store-bought) 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese big handful of pepperonis (or any other toppings you like) optional: Italian seasoning blend or dried basil for sprinkling on top

Prepare the pizza dough; preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges. Arrange the string cheese around the edges of the crust, leaving a ¾-inch space. Fold the edges of the dough over the string cheese, pinching down to seal. Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes if you›re having trouble sealing it completely.

Top with pizza sauce, the mozzarella cheese, then the pepperoni. Sprinkle lightly with seasoning.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese is bubbling. For the last minute, move the oven rack to the top rack to really brown the edges. That›s optional. Remove from the oven. Slice pizza and serve immediately. Store leftover pizza covered tightly in the refrigerator and reheat as you prefer. Baked pizza slices can be frozen up to one month.

Thick, thin, stuffed or school-style, pizza is as versatile as it is delicious. So, pep up a night with one of these perfect pizza recipes!

Kristin Kveno scours the internet, pours over old family recipes and searches everywhere in between to find interesting food ideas for feeding your crew. Do you have a recipe you want to share? You can reach Kristin at kkveno@thelandonline.com. v