Pizza Night

Hey there...my favorite reader...my only reader...yes mom, I so appreciate that you read my blog. I totally understand that you think it is an absurd waste of my time, but I need an outlet for all of my culinary adventures. Remember the other day when I made that super yummy pizza? Well,here is the recipe for the crust...only because I love you so much! This pizza crust takes about ten minutes to throw together. You can walk away and let it rise. When you return, you are ready to roll. There really is no substitute for home made pizza, once made, you will see the truth in this statement. As far as the sauce and the toppings, use your imagination. If you need a quick marinara, there is one below in that post labeled Comfort Food . There is also a list of my favorite toppings listed below as well. But just in case you need a little more direction, There is a recipe for a deliciously spicy creole pizza...mmmm yum.
Hope you enjoy this quick and easy recipe. What are your favorite toppings?

PIZZA CRUST
1 cup wrist-temperature water
1 package (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil (plus extra for the bowl)
1 ½ cups unbleached white flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 1 Tablespoon Italian herbs Extra flour for kneading
Cornmeal for the baking tray

Place the water in a medium-large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let it stand 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to bubble.
Stir in 1 cup of flour, the salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Beat for several minutes with a wooden spoon.
Add the spices and remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be soft but should not be sticky.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for several minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. This will take about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, and return it to the floured surface. (This is the point at which you can freeze the dough for future use.)
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Roll and stretch the dough into one large pizza round or 6 small pizzas. If you want to make a pizza bread sticks that will work too. Reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake 10 minutes. Some of my favorite toppings are:

peperoni* ham* olives* peppers* red onion* tomatoes* banana peppers*pineapple* shrimp*artichoke hearts*spinach* pesto* pepper flakes* Parmesan* ricotta cheese* zucchini* garbanzo beans* garlic


Creole Pizza

1 large can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon garlic
½ pound shrimp or chicken (cooked)
½ cup pineapple, cut small
½ cup red onion, diced
½ cup red pepper, diced
½ cup zucchini, diced
½ cup spinach
½ cup olives, sliced
½ cup artichoke hearts
¼ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes

Roll out pizza crust very thin. Lightly brush with olive oil and bake according to instructions. Combine the tomatoes and garlic and spread over the crust. Arrange the
remaining ingredients and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.