Pizza Day

Pizza is a popular food here, whether we're putting a frozen pizza from the store in the oven, bringing home a hot carryout, or making it at home. Of course, one of the best flavors is the made at home one, you can choose your toppings for everyone's taste.

Historians find that pizza has been a part of the diet of Italians since the stone ages. The first word referring to pizza may have been used around 1000 AD. Originally a flat bread with toppings, now we assume that pizza has a bread base, tomato sauce and cheese, plus all your favorite toppings. The first American pizzas were called "tomato pie". Early Italian immigrants opened early pizza restaurants in New York City as they brought their customs from the home country. But it wasn't until U.S. soldiers returning from stations in Italy during World War II brought back a taste for pizza that it became popular in the United States. And, most of us from Kansas know the history of the first Pizza Hut which begin in Wichita.

Yesterday's lunch was Whole Wheat Thin Crust Pizza from the Fleischmann's Breadworld site with pasta sauce from a quantity cooking class (more in a future blog) with our favorite toppings of green peppers, beef, pepperoni, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. The crust recipe is easy and makes two crusts - one can be saved to use later in the week. Prep time was about 15 minutes (plus 10 minutes for dough to rest) and baking time 12-15 minutes.

Whole Wheat Thin Crust Pizza                              

                     

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 to 1 cup all-purpose flour
(I used 2 cup of blended whole wheat/all purpose flour)
1 envelope Pizza Crust yeast (or Rapid Rise yeast)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3  cup very warm water (120-130 degrees)
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons corn oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, undissolved yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water honey and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute.
Gradually add enough remaining all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. If using RapidRise yeast, cover dough and let rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough into two portions. If making just one pizza, save one portion for another pizza later in the week (place in a large bowl that has been well sprayed with cooking spray and refrigerate for up to 3 days)
Pat remaining portion of dough with floured hands to fill greased pizza pan or baking sheet, or roll dough on a floured counter to 12-inch circle; place in greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Form a rim by pinching edge of dough.
Spread each pizza with pizza sauce. Top with desired toppings and cheese.
Bake on lowest over rack of 12-15 minutes; until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned.


Last summer's trip to Arkansas included a day at Eureka Springs. The view from the restaurant on the top floor of the Crescent Hotel was as beautiful as the pizza was delicious. Definitely a speciality of the house. Good thing we were on the last day of our trip and had a cooler for the half we couldn't eat for lunch.