Friday Night Pizza Paloza

Some how the family got into the Friday Night Pizza Party mentality.  So for years we've had pizza most Friday nights.  I use my standard whole wheat bread dough recipe and make 2 medium-largish pizzas.  The dinner prep for  Friday night takes 2 hours.  There's either pizza and salad or pizza and desert.  Sometimes, like tonight, we have left over salad from yesterday's dinner so we're having a rounded meal tonight - pizza, salad, and desert!

But first up, Mom's Friday night cocktail.

Pizza Dough

In a medium bowl - stir
350 grams of wheat kernels ground into flour or 300 gr whole wheat flour (I use a Vitamix to grind my grains)
1/2 cup wheat gluten
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon each honey and olive oil
1 1/4 cup water

When stirred, dump on counter and knead for a few minutes.  Place into an oiled bowl and cover for 30 minutes. 

Divide dough in half and reshape into 2 balls/disks.  Place each portion on a large square of parchment paper, the approximate size of your peel.

Start preheating oven with a pizza stone near the bottom to 550F.  This may take an hour.

When the oven is nearly hot, start rolling dough into circles on the parchment paper.  The dough won't need any extra flour and is very easy to work at this point.

When the circles are complete, pour and spread a bit of olive oil on the surface.  Cover with a bit of tomato sauce, seasoning, cheese and a bit of whatever else you want on the pizza.  But not too much.

Pepperoni, purple onion, and red bell pepper

Slide the peel under one completed uncooked pizza and ease into the oven, off the peel and onto the stone but leaving the pizza on the parchment paper.  The paper won't burn.

Putting the pizza in a screaming hot oven!

Quickly close the oven door and bake pizza for 8 minutes.  Remove pizza and parchment.  I let the pizza rest on a wire rack for a few minutes to cool it down so it won't condense so much.  Slide off rack and onto a cutting board.  Slice and serve.

I like a little char on the underside.
Let the oven reheat for 15 minutes before baking the second  pizza.

For desert, we had Pumpkin Crunch Cake by One Ordinary Day.  It was quick and good but nobody clamoured for me so I won't be making this again.

Salute!

Astrid