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Pizza Night!

Made-from-Scratch Pizzas

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

For the dough:

  • 1 1/4 cups warm 100 to 110 water
  • 4 1/2 t dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for kneading
  • Kosher salt

For the Sauce:

  • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 t salt
  • 1/4 t black pepper
  • 1 T Penzey's Pizza Seasoning
  • 5 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1 to 2 T red wine vinegar

For the Toppings (select 8):

  • 1 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella grated
  • 1/2 pound Manchego grated
  • 1/2 pound mild goat cheese such as Montrachet, sliced
  • 1/4 pound Asiago grated
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper cored, seeded, and julienned
  • 1/4 pound prosciutto thinly sliced and julienned
  • 1 bunch basil leaves cleaned and dried
  • Cornmeal

Instructions
 

  • 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 of flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.
  • When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • While the dough is rising, combine all sauce ingredients in a separate bowl.
  • Divide it 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 the oven to 500 degrees.
  • If you’ve chilled the 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 and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. (You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each half sheet pan.)
  • Brush the pizzas with the olive oil and/or sauce, and add any toppings you wish, piling them high. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the olive oil and bake for 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and toppings are cooked.

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