SUMMER.jpg)
By: Spencer Cutright
As a kid, summertime in my home always meant fresh ingredients, bright colors and bold flavors. No dish better accentuated all of these characteristics than homemade pizza. Since I was young, my parents have always encouraged (and required) family meals together. Making pizza was a not only great way to spend quality time with my siblings and parents, but it gave me the option to create whatever funky recipes I could imagine. My favorite type of pizza to make was a Tuscan style calabrese (or salami) pizza. Here is how to make it. The base of every pizza is the dough. Think of the dough as a blank canvas upon which you build your masterpiece. My dad always made our pizza dough from scratch, which gave the dough a signature homemade taste.
MAKING THE PIZZA CRUST
- Instant dry yeast
- Water
- Flour
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Mix one and a half cups of warm water with one packet of instant dry yeast, letting the mixture stand until it is foamy.
- Add about three and a half cups of flour and a teaspoon of salt to the mixture. Make sure your dough is not too sticky or too dry.
- Once the dough is a good consistency, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and place it in a warm area.
- After the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough, place it on a floured surface and lightly knead the dough one or two times.
- Split the dough into two equal parts, and hand stretch the dough into desired pizza sizes.
- 1 can San Marzano tomato sauce
- 1 package mozzarella
- 1 package Italian salami or pepperoni
- 2 to 3 chopped basil leaves
- Parmesan
- Salt
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Spread pizza sauce over the entire pizza, leaving just enough room for a small edge.
- A pinch of salt and spread the chopped basil evenly.
- Cover the pizza in mozzarella and salami, how much you add is up to you.
- Top with Parmesan, and place on a pizza try and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, let cool and enjoy!
- Don’t feel like making homemade dough? Most grocery stores sell canned pre-made dough.
- Instead of a tomato sauce use alfredo, pesto or extra virgin olive oil
- Replace toppings with non-traditional pizza ingredients like pickles, hamburger meat or bacon.
- Have a sweet tooth? Make a dessert pizza with a cream chees sauce, covered in chocolate and any candy of your choice.