Mamma Mia! PIZZA!

I gave you a sneak peak in the last post of a pizza that I made from scratch. For most home cooks, this is an easy recipe and already incorporated in their weekly routine. Based on that, you must be wondering why I am so jazzed about making pizza from scratch when really, there is no trick to it. Well, you need initiative and sometimes a little push to get there.

Well... this certainly helped!

We received this bread maker as a house warming present! Said friends even shared their home made pizza dough recipe that works well with the 'dough' setting on this baby. After receiving these generous gifts, I shopped for ingredients the next day and M. and I were all set to make home made pizza for the first time in our new home.

Results of the first time I made it using the bread maker. Recipe to follow.

M. working hard rolling the day out.

We decided to make roasted red pepper, spinach and fried seitan. We sauteed the red pepper and used fresh spinach but for the seitan, you can use the recipe found here. I also used a canned pizza sauce. I know! I know! I need to make my own.

All the ingredients on the pizza now!

Finished product! The crust was fantastic and soft since we opted for a thicker crust. It is now officially pizza night on Saturday nights in our house hold! 

Pizza Dough a la Bread Maker

Beer 1- 1/4 cup

Shortening 1 tbsp

Sugar 1 tbsp

Salt 1 tsp

White flour 2-2/3 cups

Yeast 1-1/4 tsp

*Add 1 tsp basil or oregano for a spicier crust

-Dump all ingredients into baking pan.

-When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in enough flour to make dough easy to handle.

-Grease pans- (two 12 inch, one 14 inch, or one 15x10 inch --- *we just use a large cookie sheet*). Roll out dough and place on pan or pat in pan.

-Top each pizza with whatever you want. Bake at 425 F for 15 to 25 minutes or until done. Pizza is done when edges are golden and cheese is bubbly.

Makes 1 large or 2 medium pizzas.

*If no beer is handy, water can be substituted.
** You can also use this recipe without a bread maker. You would need to mix all the ingredients together but only use 1 cup of beer or water and then beat until the dough is stiff in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and let it sit for 30-45 mins. It will double in size. Proceed by moving the dough to a lightly floured surface as per above and follow the rest of the instructions.