Homemade Pizza Dough- and two fabulous pizza recipes!

I love to make homemade pizza, but never before had I ventured to make my own crust. This past weekend I took the leap and I will never go back to store bought crust! Not only was the crust super easy to make, it was awesome to smell the yeast work with the flour and create something magical before my eyes. I let the dough rise on the counter for two hours, and it was beautiful, soft and fresh. It was a cinch to shape into crusts, no rolling pin required! This Italian-style pizza is best topped lightly with fresh, seasonal toppings that really let the dough shine. In fact, the dough was so delicious I could eat it simply topped with sea salt and dipped in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. But being the hungry girl that I am, I decided to make two scrumptious large pizzas and enjoy leftovers for days! I hope you love these recipes!

Margherita Pizza
A delicious Italian classic
Makes 2 large, 4 medium, or 8 small pizzas

1 prepared pizza dough, divided into desired number of pizzas (see recipe below)
½ lb fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh pepper

Preheat pizza stone in 500 degree oven for 30 minutes. Carefully remove stone from oven and place fresh dough on top of the stone. (Roll dough onto a rolling pin for easy transport.) Brush dough lightly with olive oil. Smooth an even amount of sauce over dough, then top with sliced garlic, basil and tomatoes. Bake for listed time depending on size of the crust, then remove and add cheese. Bake for an additional 2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Pizza
A spicy and flavorful combination
Makes 2 large, 4 medium, or 8 small pizzas

1 prepared pizza dough, divided into desired number of pizzas (see recipe below)
½ lb fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup pizza sauce
1 sausage link, sliced
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
½ onion, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh pepper
Preheat pizza stone in 500 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in some olive oil and add onions and peppers. Sprinkle with salt and sauté for 5 minutes. Add sausage and sauté mixture an additional 5 minutes until sausage is almost cooked through.

Carefully remove stone from oven and place the fresh dough on top of the stone. (Roll dough onto a rolling pin for easy transport.) Brush dough lightly with olive oil. Smooth an even amount of sauce over dough, then top with the sausage, peppers and onions mixture. Bake for listed time depending on size of the crust, then remove and add cheese. Bake for an additional 2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Master Pizza Dough

1 ¾ cups water divided, 1/2 cup warm, remaining at tap temperature
2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast (1 envelope)
2 tablespoons olive oil , plus extra for brushing dough
4 cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
Vegetable oil (or cooking spray) for oiling bowl
Semolina or flour for dusting board

Measure 1/4 cup of warm water into 2-cup measuring cup. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand until yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup warm water plus remaining 1 1/4 cups tap water and olive oil. Meanwhile, pulse flour and salt in workbowl of large food processor fitted with steel blade to combine. Add liquid ingredients (holding back a tablespoon or so) to flour and pulse together. If dough does not readily form into ball, stop machine, add remaining liquid, and continue to pulse until ball forms. Process until dough is smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds longer.
Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead by hand with a few strokes to form smooth, round ball. Put dough into medium-large, oiled bowl, and cover with damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and use chef’s knife or dough scraper to halve, quarter, or cut dough into eighths, depending on number and size of pizzas desired. Form each piece into ball and cover with damp cloth. Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape as shown in illustrations below. Brush dough very lightly with olive oil before topping and cooking.
Use the following guide to determine cooking time for pizza crust with topping but without cheese. All pizzas need to be cooked an additional two or three minutes after adding cheese, or until cheese is completely melted.

THIN CRUST
14-inch pizzas (dough recipe makes 2) - 7 to 8 minutes
12-inch pizzas (dough recipe makes 4) - 5 minutes
8-inch pizzas (dough recipe makes 8) - 3 minutes

MEDIUM-THICK CRUST
12-inch pizzas (dough recipe makes 2) - 9 to 10 minutes
8-inch pizzas (dough recipe makes 4) - 5 minutes
6-inch pizzas (dough recipe makes 8) - 4 minutes

Master Pizza Dough Recipe courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated.

Shrimp Toast

Ready for an old-school appetizer that is ready to make it's comback for the holidays? Try Shrimp Toast! This blend of mayo, cheese and shrimp is delectable spread on toast and baked until creamy and warm. The red pepper flakes add a gentle heat, and the green onions a nice fresh flavor. This recipe may be a throwback to the 70's, but it still tastes as good as ever!

Shrimp Toast
A delicious appetizer that everyone loves!
Serves 8-10

1 bag cooked frozen salad shrimp, thawed and dried off (or any cooked shrimp –chopped)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup cheddar cheese
Dash seasoned salt
Dash garlic powder
1 loaf French bread or baguette (sliced about ½ inch thick) or Ciabatta bread split lenghwise

Mix: Mayo, Cheeses, Shrimp Onion, Spices & Red Pepper Flakes together – this can be done 1 day in advance. Place a generous amount on each slice of bread, place on baking sheet, bake at 350 until golden brown top & bottom - 20 to 30 minutes checking often.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Bernier

Smokey Southwest Cheddar Burgers

I don't eat a lot of red meat, but as a true midwestern girl I occasionally love a good burger. When I treat myself to a big juicy burger it needs to be delicious and unique, so I love to make burgers at home where I can control the quality of ingredients. This burger is right up my alley- it's loaded with delicious toppings! The smoked cheddar melts and adds a ton of smokey flavor, the avocado is creamy and fresh, and the Tabasco mayo is slightly spicy with a smooth Southwest flavor.

Smokey Southwest Cheddar Burgers

Layers of flavor and spice take this burger to another level!

Burgers:
Hamburger patties
Grill seasoning (or salt and pepper)
Smoked cheddar cheese
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato
Sliced onion
Cooked bacon slices, optional
Hamburger buns, I prefer whole wheat

Tabasco Mayo (serves 6):
4 T. mayonnaise
1 T. ketchup
2 tsp. Tabasco sauce (more or less depending on your spice tolerance)
Dash Worcestershire sauce

Sprinkle burgers with grill seasoning. Heat a grill or skillet and cook the burgers to your liking, about 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. During last minute of cooking add a slice of smoked cheddar cheese to each burger. Toast the buns.

Place the burger patty on the bottom bun. Lay the avocado slices on top of the burger, then top with the onion and tomato. Add a slice of bacon if you wish. Spread a generous amount of Tabasco mayo on the top bun. Close the burger, press gently, and enjoy!

Recipe by Sarah Lang