When you girls were little I used to make homemade pizza on Friday nights. In those days we lived in the burbs on the northwest side of San Antonio. Daddy worked for an insurance company that was located in north central San Antonio. It was 20 miles away give or take depending on which route he took. With the city traffic it was at least half an hour one way. Sometimes he took the VIA bus. Although the bus saved wear and tear on our older cars it could take him quite a while to get home. This one Friday he was running pretty late. I don't remember the exact details but for some reason I went to pick him up at a bus stop at Bandera Road and Loop 410. This was way before cell phones so he must have called me from a phone booth to say he missed his connection. I was in the middle of making pizza but I stopped what I was doing and went to pick him up. Katie was in middle school at the time. She decided to help me by rolling the dough out on the pans. (In all honesty I don't remember if she volunteered or if I asked her to do it) I came home to a dented pizza pan and dough that was not rolled out. I guess the dough was being stubborn that day and she felt the need to beat it with a rolling pin. I still use that same pizza pan today.
You can see the little dimples.
Pizza Dough
Here is the recipe I used that day. I got it from my Mama Ann. Lately I have been using a "new" slightly different recipe I found in Pam Anderson's Cook Without a Book book)http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/meaty-mains/pizza-dough/
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup oil (I used olive oil)
1 tbsp yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
Dissolve yeast in the water. Add the oil and then the rest of the ingredients. Turn into an oiled bowl and let rise in a warm place until about double. You'll get a feel for it. I usually turn the oven on to preheat and the set dough on top of the stove because it is warm there.
After it has risen divide into 2 balls. Then grease your pizza pans and spread the dough with your hands until it reaches the edges. This might take a little doing but you can do it.
Next I prebake my dough for about 5 minutes at 450. I've tried skipping this step but in my conventional electric oven I've found this works best for me.
When that's done you spread the sauce on top. I have a confession about the sauce. I used to make homemade pizza sauce. When Daddy and I were first married there was a pizza place called Mr. Gatti's Pizza. We loved their pizza. One day I noticed they used Contadina pizza sauce. Some years back I realized I could buy Contadina pizza sauce at the store. No brainer. So that's what I use.
When y'all were kids I used to put Jimmy Dean sausage, mushrooms and black olives on our pizza. Sometimes to change it up I would substitute pepperoni. I put the mozzarella cheese on first and then the toppings. I bake it at 450. I put one pizza on the top rack and one on the bottom. After about 9 minutes I switch them and bake another 9 minutes or until it looks done. Then Daddy cuts it and we eat it.
Now a days I don't use any meat. Our toppings of choice are mushrooms , black olives, green olives, onion, and jalapenos (if the grand kids aren't around). This combination makes a pretty tasty pizza pie.
There you have it. Homemade pizza.
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup oil (I used olive oil)
1 tbsp yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
Dissolve yeast in the water. Add the oil and then the rest of the ingredients. Turn into an oiled bowl and let rise in a warm place until about double. You'll get a feel for it. I usually turn the oven on to preheat and the set dough on top of the stove because it is warm there.
After it has risen divide into 2 balls. Then grease your pizza pans and spread the dough with your hands until it reaches the edges. This might take a little doing but you can do it.
Next I prebake my dough for about 5 minutes at 450. I've tried skipping this step but in my conventional electric oven I've found this works best for me.
When that's done you spread the sauce on top. I have a confession about the sauce. I used to make homemade pizza sauce. When Daddy and I were first married there was a pizza place called Mr. Gatti's Pizza. We loved their pizza. One day I noticed they used Contadina pizza sauce. Some years back I realized I could buy Contadina pizza sauce at the store. No brainer. So that's what I use.
When y'all were kids I used to put Jimmy Dean sausage, mushrooms and black olives on our pizza. Sometimes to change it up I would substitute pepperoni. I put the mozzarella cheese on first and then the toppings. I bake it at 450. I put one pizza on the top rack and one on the bottom. After about 9 minutes I switch them and bake another 9 minutes or until it looks done. Then Daddy cuts it and we eat it.
Now a days I don't use any meat. Our toppings of choice are mushrooms , black olives, green olives, onion, and jalapenos (if the grand kids aren't around). This combination makes a pretty tasty pizza pie.
There you have it. Homemade pizza.
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