Pizza Recipe

Several people asked for our pizza recipe after our Pizza Night post so here it is. I got this recipe from my sister Emily and we have loved it. It's really easy and we love to roll the dough really thin.

California Pizzas

(Makes 6 pizzas)

For the dough:

1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110 degrees) water
2 packages dry yeast
1 TB honey
3 TB good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 tsp. kosher salt

For the toppings (you can use whatever you like -- we usually keep it very simple: mozzarella, red onion, red pepper, tomatoes and fresh basil):

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound mozzarella, grated
1/2 pound Italian Fontina cheese, grated
1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced and julienned
1 bunch arugula, cleaned and dried
6 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 bunch basil leaves, cleaned and dried
4 garlic cloves, roasted
Crushed red pepper flakes

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1 more cup flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

If you've chilled dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each 18x13-inch baking sheet.

Brush dough with olive oil (or sauce) and add any toppings you wish, piling them high. Drizzle each pizza with 1 TB olive oil and bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is crisp and toppings are cooked.

*** NOTE: We usually use sauce and don't drizzle the oil on top. Also, at least in our oven, they seem to be done after about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!