It’s Pizza time…..no take out!

Pizza…loaded with veggies and oodles of gooey cheese…hmmmm...bliss!

As kids, my brother and I loved Pizzas, and we often used to beg mom to order some. Back then, in Mysore, Pizza was definitely pricey and not a commoner’s food. There was only one Pizza place called “US Pizza” and whenever that place had a ‘eat unlimited’ offer, my brother and I were there in the blink of an eye. Mom used to make Pizzas at home too, but we still craved Pizza from outside. She used the ready Pizza bases available at ‘Nilgiris’ super market. As we grew up, time of course changed and my brother and I both visited Bangalore often which gave us a chance to pig out on pizza at the hundred and one pizza places. Pizza Hut Pizza rocked, and was a favourite and still remains even after I came to the US. I must say here they are more generous with the cheese than back in India. Hubby loves cheese too, so its always pizza with tons of cheese on top!

I crave for Pizza more often than I should, and take out every time means leftovers as well as $$$! So I decided to make my own pizza dough as well the pizza at home. This was the first time I made the dough.

Pizza dough

1 package active dry yeast (7gm/ 1/4 oz)
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour, plus more if necessary
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, combine yeast with water, salt and stir well .After 5 minutes, transfer to the bowl of a food processor along with flour, salt, and olive oil and process until the dough forms a ball. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is too sticky, add a bit more flour and process for another minute.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for 2 to 3 minutes, adding enough additional flour if necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Dough should not be sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl and turn to coat dough with oil.

Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Divide dough into 2 portions (for 2 (12-inch) pizzas) and form into balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a thickness of 1/2-inch.Transfer to a pizza pan and bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove and add choice of toppings.

Pizza

You can use any choice of toppings for your pizza. I wanted to recreate the Veggie Supreme version from Pizza Hut, hence used the following toppings.

You will need: (for 2 pizzas)

1 Cup Onions (cubed)

1 Cup Tomatoes (chopped)

1 Cup Green Bell Peppers (cubed)

¾ Cup Mushrooms (sliced)

¾ Cup Babycorn (sliced)

2 Cups Marinara sauce

2 Cups Mozzarella cheese (grated)

Pour 2-3 ladles of marinara sauce on the pizza base and spread evenly.

Top with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms and babycorn. Top with a generous handfuls of grated mozzarella.

Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes, keep a close watch, cheese may burn if your oven has a high cooking power.

Cut into slices with a Pizza cutter and serve…err… gobble up! :)