Cornmeal Crusted Pizza

Are you looking for a new pizza crust? We decided to try a new style of pizza crust and found this recipe by Emeril Lagasse that turned out great!

Here’s the recipe from FoodNetwork.com:

You’ll Need:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
Pinch sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating bowl
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more, if necessary
1 cup cornmeal, plus more for dusting pizza peel

In a large bowl combine yeast with water and sugar and stir well to combine. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, olive oil, and half of the flour and mix well to thoroughly combine. Add the 1 cup of cornmeal and all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix well with your hands, working to incorporate the flour little by little. The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for at least 5 and up to 7 minutes, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough that is not too sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, usually at least 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.

 Divide dough into 2 portions (for 2 (12 to 14-inch) pizzas) and form into balls. (See note below for calzones.) Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer dough to a pizza peel (sprinkle with cornmeal to help facilate moving dough) and top with toppings of choice. Transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake until crispy and golden brown, usually12 to 18 minutes (depending on the toppings and the thickness of the crust). Remove from the oven with a metal peel or spatula and serve immediately.

 Yield: 2 (12 or 14-inch) pizzas or 4 calzones, serving 4 to 6

 Note: For calzones, divide the dough into 4 equal portions and form into 4 balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll out into 4 (8-inch) circles. Place filling of choice in the center of 1 side of each circle, then fold dough over filling to meet edges of filled side. Crimp edges with a fork or your fingers, then cut a small slit in the top of the calzone to allow steam to escape while cooking. Cook on a preheated pizza stone in a preheated 475 degree F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until well-browned. Remove from the oven with a peel or spatula and serve immediately.

MY NOTES:
1. We prefer our cornbread recipes to have a sweeter taste than this yielded, so next time I would add 2-3 TBSP honey.
2. We placed the dough in a moist and hot microwave oven for the rising step. (You can create this environment by first boiling 2 cups of water in the microwave for ~2-3 minutes. Then quickly place the bowl of dough in the microwave and shut the door (leaving the microwave off). It works wonderfully and cuts the rising time down to 30 minutes instead of 2 hours.)
3. We cut our dough into 4 equal pieces and rolled out mini pizzas. They each measured approximately 8 inches in diameter.  We found 8 minutes at 500 F was plenty of baking time on a baking sheet.
4. This would be a great crust to infuse some herbs into the dough, such as sun-dried tomato, basil, rosemary, etc.
5. We topped our pizza with tomatoes, basil, and sweet bell peppers. Don’t be afraid to be creative too.

-Angela

Rainbow Chard and Goat Cheese Tart (all right… pizza)

Last night, the kids wanted pizza – and I wanted to eat it without feeling guilty.  For a few weeks now, I’ve been trying to replace the processed food that we usually eat with wholesome and clean homemade dishes.  Who needs the artificial dyes, corn syrup, and preservatives?  The up-side to homemade pizza is that you can create a healthier version that makes you feel a little less guilty about eating pizza.  I also decided that if I called it a “tart” nearly all guilt could be erased.

I used 2/3 of the dough to make a plain cheese kids pizza.  What follows are my directions for one Rainbow Chard and Goat Cheese Pizza Tart using 1/3 of a dough recipe.  As always, the ingredients can be adjusted according to your taste and veggies on hand.  You could also replace rainbow chard with kale, spinach, or any other green you might like.  If you really want to be healthy and wholesome, make your own whole wheat crust.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• About 1/3 of a dough recipe OR 1/3 of pre-made Publix dough
• Spaghetti Sauce or Tomato Sauce
• 1 Bunch Rainbow Chard (washed really well to remove grit, center stems removed, and chopped).
• Olive Oil and Garlic
• Red Onions
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Goat Cheese
• Fresh Basil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Oil a pizza pan and line with cornmeal or ground flax seed.   Using ground flax seed adds a little nutty flavor and is really healthy.  You can find it in the organic section in Publix either in pre-ground, single-serving packets or by the bag.
2. Roll out the pizza dough until its fairly thin and place on pan.
3. Spread some olive oil on it and bake for just a few minutes until its a bit cooked.  This keeps the pizza from getting soggy when using toppings that tend to be soggy.
4. In the meantime, saute the rainbow chard with olive oil and garlic until its wilted – around 10 minutes.
5. When the crust is finished precooking, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over it, add the chard (I used the ENTIRE bunch of chard), sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions, and goat cheese.  I added salt and pepper on top as well.
6. Cook until the crust is golden and the cheese starts to brown.
7. Right after you take it out, add fresh chopped basil.  It’ll wilt from the heat.  You could also add a good parmesan for a little extra saltiness.

Harvest Pizza – Take 2: Pumpkin Pizza Dough

All right… I know this is ridiculous, but I’m head over heels for this pizza dough. Speechless describes my reaction to the results. This picture was taken during the prebake stage. Do you see the rising of the dough? Air bubbles! The crust is perfect in every way. So, before I patent the recipe (lol) I’ll share it with you, my friends.

You’ll Need:
1 cup Warm Water
2 TBSP Sugar
1 envelope Active Dry Yeast
1.5 TSP Salt
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2-2.5 cups Bread Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 TBSP Soy Flour
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree (or pumpkin pie filling)
1 TSP ground Cinnamon (optional)

First things first… decide what flavor you want in your pizza crust. If you want a more pumpkin pie type flavor (for a dessert style pizza perhaps), use the pie filling pumpkin and cinnamon or use puree with pumpkin pie spices and cinnamon. If you’re looking for a traditional flavor and are adding the pumpkin for enhanced nutrition, skip the added seasonings.

1. Mix water, yeast and sugar together in a mixing bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Add salt, oil, cinnamon and pumpkin to the yeast mix.
3. Add 1 cup of bread flour and mix.
4. Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and mix.
5. Move dough to a floured surface (table, counter, etc.) and knead in 1-1.5 cups bread flour.
6. Knead well and form a ball.
7. Coat the ball with oil and place in an oiled bowl.
8. Let rise for 1 hour.
9. Roll dough ball in flour and knead lighly.
10. Cut dough ball into two pieces and knead each into a ball.
11. Roll out each piece into a circle and prepare to prebake on pizza pan or stone.
12. Prebake dough at 425F for 5-7 minutes.
13. Freeze or refrigerate dough if desired or immediately add sauce and toppings.
14. After toppings have been added, bake at 425F until cheese is melted and serve.

Have fun with it, creating your own designer pizza. Use toppings such as roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini, caramelized onions, peppers, etc. OR top it with baked apples, pears, cinnamon and sugar crumble AND THEN top it with a drizzle of frosting. How’s that for a surprise at the dinner table?