Source: The Doubleday Cookbook by: J. Anderson & E. Hanna
Makes 8 servings.
Preparation time: 3 hours
Tips: A thick crust with plenty of cheese and toppings.
Pizza - Traditional
American Style Pizza
Ingredients
Preparation
DOUGH: makes 2 - 14" pizzas, see note (1)
1/4 cup warm water (105-115F)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
4 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil or other cooking oil
TOPPINGS:
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1/3 to 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1. Pour warm water into a warm large bowl, sprinkle in yeast, and stir to dissolve. Mix in 2 cups flour, the salt and sugar. Add lukewarm water and oil and beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour and knead on a lightly floured board until elastic. Shape into a bowl, turn in greased bowl to grease all over, cover, and let rise in warm, draft-free place until double in bulk, about 1 to 2 hrs.
2. Towards end of rising, preheat oven to 400 F degrees . If available, place stone at oven middle level. Meanwhile, warm all the sauce ingredients together in a covered saucepan over lowest heat, stirring now and then, 20 minutes.
3. Dust pizza pan with flour or coarse cornmeal. Divide dough in half. Stretch each half to fit a 14" pizza pan. Pre-bake crust by placing in the hot 400 F degree oven for 5 minutes, this prevents the crust from getting soggy. Remove from oven and proceed with desire toppings, see suggestions or create your own. Bake another 20 minutes at 400 F degrees or until cheese and topping starts to crisp on the top. Serve immediately.
TRADITIONAL : A layer of sauce topped with green peppers, mushrooms, onions, green olives, black olives, pre-cooked hot or sweet sausage. Cheeses called for. Fresh tomato slices and anchovies on top of cheeses.
MEXICAN: A layer of sauce topped with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Add pre-cooked chorizo (Mexican sausage), onions, sun-dried tomatoes pre-soaked and covered in olive oil, avocado, goat cheese and canned jalapeno slices. Add another thin layer of mozzarella.
NOTE: 1) Dough freezes well. Make one pizza and freeze the other half for a future one or to make Calzone, one half dough makes 4 calzone.
2) Sauce freezes well also.
Makes: Two 14" pizzas.
SAUCE: cooked type
8 ounces canned tomato sauce (1 small can)
6 ounces canned tomato paste (1 small can)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt and sugar
1/8 teaspoon crushed dried hot red chili peppers
1 teaspoon anise seeds (optional)
