Quick Rise Pizza Margherita With Topping Variations Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°, and spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle a little cornmeal over the spray.
• Heat water in microwave for 20 seconds, or use hot tap water heated to 110 - 120 degrees. Add white sugar and sea salt. Stir to dissolve.
• Add yeast, stir to dissolve, and cover with a towel. Let proof for 10 minutes. (The yeast should bubble and puff up, if not, then your yeast is no good. Start over with new yeast.).
• Combine flour and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl, add yeast mixture, and stir with a spoon until you can no longer stir it. Now use your hands to continue mixing and kneading the dough ball. Use additional flour on your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Knead dough for at least 10 minutes, then shape dough into one large round, or divide into four pieces for individual pies, and place on cookie sheet.
• Brush a thin coat of olive oil over dough, and then spread on sauce.
• Sprinkle sauce with Italian seasoning, cheese, basil and tomatoes.
• Cook for 5 - 10 minutes, but watch closely after 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Steps:

• Stir flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Stir half the flour mixture into yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When dough pulls together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, then place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, divide into 4 equal pieces, and form each into a ball.
• Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Stretch out and pat 1 dough ball to form a circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place dough on a lightly floured pizza peel. Top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and spread to cover within an inch of the edge of the dough. Arrange 5 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce, then place 5 basil leaves on top. Drizzle pizza with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Repeat for 3 remaining dough balls.
• Slide each pizza onto the pizza stone in the preheated oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the underside of the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of flour with yeast and salt.
• Pour hot water and oil into flour mixture and mix well.
• Mix in remaining flour to make a slightly sticky dough.
• Form dough into a ball.
• On a lightly floured surface - or using the dough hook on KitchenAid mixer - knead dough for about five minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Cut dough in half; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. To make later, refrigerate the rounds of dough at this point. Bring to room temperature before rolling or stretching.
• Meanwhile, lightly oil pizza pans or sheets and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.
• Roll dough to desired thickness and transfer to pans, or place dough directly on pan and pat and stretch to desired shape and thickness.
• Let rise for 15 minutes, a little longer if you are making a thick crust.
• Add toppings.
• Bake in 450 degree oven for 16 to 18 minutes.

Steps:

• Mix together all dough ingredients and knead on a lightly-floured surface until smooth and soft. Do not over-knead; dough should hold together but look rough on surface.
• Allow to rise in a warm place, covered, for 45 minutes.
• Refrigerate dough for 4-36 hours, to allow dough to slowly rise and develop flavor.
• Shape into a 12-14 inch circle, brush with olive oil (if desired), and bake on a pizza stone or greased pizza pan at 400* F for about 10 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden.
• Top and bake as desired.

Steps:

• Make the base: Put the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 200ml warm water and the olive oil and bring together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You can leave the dough to rise if you like, but it's not essential for a thin crust.
• Make the sauce: Mix the passata, basil and crushed garlic together, then season to taste. Leave to stand at room temperature while you get on with shaping the base.
• Roll out the dough: if you've let the dough rise, give it a quick knead, then split into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into large rounds, about 25cm across, using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift the rounds onto two floured baking sheets.
• Top and bake: heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 8. Put another baking sheet or an upturned baking tray in the oven on the top shelf. Smooth sauce over bases with the back of a spoon. Scatter with cheese and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put one pizza, still on its baking sheet, on top of the preheated sheet or tray. Bake for 8-10 mins until crisp. Serve with a little more olive oil, and basil leaves if using. Repeat step for remaining pizza.