Welcome back.

Did you let your crust rise for 1 to 3 days? It’s a fun little science experiment as the yeast activates slowly under a cold rise and you get little gremlin air pockets all over the skin of the dough…

We’re ready for baking day.

An hour before baking, take your dough out of the fridge and cut it into thirds. If you’re not planning to make all three pizzas, you can freeze a third or two-thirds for another night.*

With each of the three sections, gently form them into a ball with cupped hands. DON’T KNEAD the dough. You want as much air to remain in the crust as you can.
Cover them with oiled plastic wrap and let them rest.

Preheat your oven to 500°. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven prior to preheating.**

 

While you’re waiting, make whatever pizza ingredients need pre-cooking (i.e. sausage, ground beef, bacon, chicken, etc.); chop and prep the rest (veggies, etc).

After one hour, your oven should be good and hot, and your dough will have relaxed and come to room temperature. Lay a large square of parchment paper on the counter. Flour your hands, the parchment, and one ball of dough. Start expanding it into a circle.

You can do this in all sorts of ways:

1. For the less adventurous, place the mound on floured parchment paper and gently pull out the sides, using your fingertips to flatten and spread the dough, until you’ve reached your desired pizza circumference.
2. For the conservative risk-takers, you can pick the mound up, and constantly turn it like a steering wheel, gently pulling out as you spin.
3. Once it gets big enough, the dare-devils amongst you can do this:

Okaaaaay….

back to business.

 

Once your crust has met your desired circumference and thickness, it’s time to assemble.

For traditional flavored pizzas, these are my favorite store-bought sauces:

 

I also love a good pesto on a Margherita pizza, and have even been known to use mayo and ketchup as a base for a bacon cheeseburger pizza.

(yes,  those ARE pickles on that pizza…)

 

Really, you can do ANYTHING here.

 

Assembly is generally in order: sauce, then cheese, then fixin’s.

 

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Once assembled, slide the pizza (parchment and all) onto the hot stone or oven rack. Bake until it’s well browned and bubbly, around 8-10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

This is a fig, prosciutto, and blue cheese pizza with raisin-shallot chutney and olive oil base.

 

SO GOOD!

 

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*Once frozen, thaw in the fridge for a day before baking.

**I’ve heard of people grilling the pizza as well. If you try this, send details on what worked. I’ve never done it!