Pizza!
Modified from 1001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes
Up to 3 cups all purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 package fast-rising yeast (2 1/2 tsp if you are not using packets)
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water (not boiling--it will kill the yeast)
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 Tbsp italian seasoning
freshly grated mozzarella
Additional toppings, as desired
Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir to break up the yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Combine cornmeal and 1/2 flour to a medium bowl. Add yeast mixture and stir until incorporated. Continue adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is sticky, but no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. Turn out and knead on a floured or oiled surface until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes and italian seasoning. Roll out dough on pan to desired thickness, then spoon enough sauce to cover. Finish with mozzarella cheese (and other desired toppings). Bake at 400 degrees until crust is browned and cheese is bubbly, 15-20 minutes.
Variations:
- Instead of sauce, use olive oil and top with cheese, tomatoes, and spinach. Add garlic if desired. Or go for the Margarita style and use basil in place of spinach.
- Use alfredo sauce in place of tomatoes and add green vegetables for contrast.
- Use goat cheese spread out in place of tomatoes, mixed with some italian herbs, then top with thick slices of tomatoes. Allow tomatoes to dehydrate slightly.
- Use pesto in place of sauce, and top with cheese and other desired toppings. Spinach and tomatoes are a good start.
My Notes:
I admit it, my favorite pizzas are totally non-kosher. I like white pizzas with chicken, and I like sausage pizzas. So finding a kosher pizza that I like is a huge challenge. I like this one because it's nice and basic. The fire-roasted tomatoes give some nice flavor to the sauce, and the addition of cornmeal to the dough gives it a nice crust. Using freshly grated mozzarella also makes such a huge difference. I kind of want to try this with some different cheeses, just to see how it would taste. This recipe is definitely a keeper, though.
Edit (6/13/13): I've changed up the recipe a bit to better reflect my pizza doughs. It's much more soft, and I can actually get it to rise now, so overall, I think it's a winner. I've also added some additional variations on toppings which I've found to enjoy over the past few years.
