Many people are getting into baking during this coronavirus lockdown period and since they have more time on their hands and restaurants are closed.
Baking is also one of the fun activities to do with your family.
Despite its party-food reputation, pizza can provide a lot of good nutrition.
That’s especially true when you make it yourself at home.
Homemade pizza made our way is healthy because it’s…
- Made with 100% whole grains
- Spread with lycopene-rich tomato sauce (Did you know that tomato sauce has more of this powerful antioxidant than fresh tomatoes?)
- Topped with protein-rich whole cheeses
- Sprinkled with fresh veggies
All together, homemade pizza is, believe it or not, a balanced meal! You’re hitting all the food groups in a package that your kids will absolutely love.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 cups whole wheat flour regular or white whole wheat, or a mix
- 2 ½ teaspoons active yeast
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon wheat gluten optional, but recommended
For the sauce
- 1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, grated or a pinch of garlic powder
Topping ideas
- shredded Mozzarella
- grated Parmesan
- fresh veggies like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, or spinach
- pepperoni, ham, chicken, or ground beef
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together warm water and yeast, and set aside. The mixture should start to foam after a few minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and gluten if using. Stir well, then add the water/yeast mixture, olive oil and honey. Stir until a ball forms.
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Use your hands to knead the dough for several minutes. (If the dough is too wet, you can add a couple of tablespoons of extra flour so it’s easier to handle. But keep in mind that a dry dough won’t get as stretchy and light as a wetter dough.)
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Form the dough into a loose ball, drizzle a little olive oil on top, and cover the bowl with a clean dish towel. Let the dough rise for 1-2 hours.
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When the first rise is finished, punch down the dough (deflate it with your fists) and cut the ball in half. Roll each piece of dough into a new ball, place them in separate bowls, and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 F and prepare your toppings. Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside, chop any veggies you plan to add, and grate your cheese into piles.
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Sprinkle a few tablespoons of whole wheat flour on a clean counter top, then flatten one of the dough balls onto it. Use a rolling pin (a glass bottle works in a pinch) to gently roll the dough into a circle (if you’re using a pizza stone) or an oval (if you’re using a baking sheet.) Use your fingers to shape the edges into a slight crust. You can also lift up the dough by the crusts and gently turn it to help the dough stretch evenly.
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Once the dough is shaped into a crust, place it on the stone or baking sheet.
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Rub about 2 teaspoons of olive oil onto the surface of the crust, then add your desired toppings.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crust is brown, and cheese is bubbling.
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Slice and serve hot! Repeat the process with your second ball of dough. OR refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough for later.
Ingredients
- 1/2 recipe homemade pizza crust
- 1/2–3/4 cup (127-190g) pizza sauce, depending how much you like (homemade or store-bought)
- 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
- 1 and 1/2 cups (6oz or 168g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2–3 Tablespoons (10-15g) grated parmesan cheese
- ground basil or Italian seasoning, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the pizza dough through step 6, including preheating the oven to 475°F (246°C) as described in step 4.
- Top the dough with the pizza sauce, then the sliced mozzarella, then the shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, then sprinkle with basil.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. For the last minute, I move the oven rack to the top rack to really brown the edges. That’s optional.
- Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Cover leftover pizza tightly and store in the refrigerator. Reheat as you prefer. Baked pizza slices can be frozen up to 3 months.
Ingredients
for 8 servings
- 1 ¾ cups self-rising flour(220 g), plus more for dusting
- 1 cup greek yogurt(245 g)
- ½ cup pizza sauce(130 g)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese(100 g), part-skim
- pepperoni slouse, for topping
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F(200°C).
- In a large bowl, mix the self-rising flour and Greek yogurt until it comes together to form a ball.
- Transfer the dough ball to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to begin flattening and shaping the rough into about a 12-inch (30 cm) round. If at any point the dough begins to stick, sprinkle on a bit more flour.
- Carefully transfer the dough to a lightly floured baking sheet.
- Spread the sauce evenly across the dough, sprinkle on the cheese, and top with pepperonis.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust has turned golden-brown.
- Slice and serve.
- Enjoy!
