January Library Gourmet:
Pizzas From Scratch
Basic Pizza Dough:
Use this recipe to prepare for pizza base to all of the following dishes.
3 Cups Bread Flour
½ packet of yeast
1 ½ Cups water
Teaspoon of Oil
Tablespoon of Olive Oil
Combine flour, salt, and yeast and mix well in a large bowl (12 quart will work fine). Mix in the oil and
warm water. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 30 minutes. Stretch dough and fit to a greased
pan for topping and baking. Par bake each crust at 400 degrees for 6 minutes before topping. After
topping, bake to desired temperature/melting an additional 4-6 minutes.
Gorgonzola Walnut
Gorgonzola & chopped walnuts with fresh tomatoes on a crust covered with fresh alfredo sauce
Alfredo sauce:
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup Asiago, Parmesan, Romano cheese blend
Italian seasoning to taste
Topping:
½ cup walnuts
½ cup gorgonzola cheese
½ cup caramelized onions
Prepare the alfredo sauce by heating the heavy cream on a low setting in a sauce pan, stir in cheese
blend, season with Italian herbs until sauce sticks to back of the spoon. Spread evenly across pizza
dough.
Saute red onions and butter in a sauce pan, mix with walnuts and sprinkle over pizza dough. Add
crumbles of gorgonzola cheese and bake at 400 degrees for desired consistency.
Gourmet
Covered with homemade pesto sauce (a blend of basil and herbs, olive oil, pine nuts, and parmesan
cheese) topped with sauteed fresh mushrooms, green peppers, black and green olives, onions, and
artichoke hearts, sprinkled with goat cheese and asiago, parmesan, romano cheese blend.
Topping:
¼ Cup Pesto
Handful of diced green peppers
Handful of diced mushrooms
Handful of diced red onion
1 diced artichoke heart
3 cloves of diced garlic
Handful of diced olives
½ cup of goat cheese crumbles
3 tbsp asiago, parmesan, romano cheese blend
Top pizza dough with a spread of pesto. Saute all vegetable ingredients and top dough. Sprinkle cheeses
liberally and bake to desired temperature/melting.
Potato Skins Pizza
A pizza with mashed potatoes, bacon, cheddar, chives and sour cream
Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
15 medium red potatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
6 large cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pizza Topping:
2 cups garlic mashed potatoes
3 ounces sauteed onions
3 small tomatoes, sliced thin
4 ounces shredded provolone
4 ounces shredded fontina
4 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 teaspoon onion salt
Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Combine potatoes, broth, and garlic in a large saucepan. Add additional water
if necessary in order to keep all potatoes completely submerged. Bring to boil than reduce heat to low.
Continue to cook until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Drain and mash the potatoes and garlic. Add butter, salt, pepper, and whipping cream. Whip until it has
a creamy texture.
Roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch thick circle. Place in a pizza pan or on a pizza peel. Spread on the garlic
mashed potatoes. Evenly sprinkle the sauteed onions. Layer the sliced tomatoes. Evenly sprinkle the
cheeses, bacon crumbles, cracked black pepper, and onion salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Detroit Style Pepperoni
Tomato basil sauce:
1 pound canned diced tomatoes or tomato strips
3 cups canned ground tomatoes or tomato puree
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup combination of dried herbs and spices including basil, oregano and granulated garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic, optional
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Topping:
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
36 pepperoni slices
Transfer dough a small nonstick pan (a baking sheet or even a pizza stone will work as well). Gently push
the dough into the desired shape, no more than 12 inches in diameter, or about 8 by 10 inches if making
a square pizza. Don't make it too thin; a smaller diameter will lead to a thicker crust. Once the dough is in
the desired shape, let it sit and rise while getting the toppings together.
For the tomato sauce: Mix together the tomatoes, basil, dried herbs, oil, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.
The sauce will cook on the pizza.
For assembly: Sprinkle the cheese onto the crust. If using a pan with sides, you can go all the way to the
edge of the dough with the cheese. If using a pizza stone or unrimmed baking sheet, leave a little room
around the edge to prevent melted cheese from running off the pan. Top with pepperoni Dollop the sauce
randomly onto the pizza, staying away from the edges.
Bake in the top third of the oven until the cheese is fully cooked and the crust is browned, about 15
minutes. Bake the remaining crust with additional sauce and toppings.
Apple pizza
Sliced granny smith apples with a touch of apricot preserves, streusel topping and ricotta cheese
Topping:
½ cup of slice granny smith apple quarters
¼ cup of apricot preserves
¼ cup streusel topping
½ cup ricotta cheese
Cinnamon to taste
Spread apricot preserves across dough, top with apple slices, then streusel topping, then random
crumbles of ricotta. Cinnamon to taste and bake until the ricotta begins to slightly brown at the very
top.
Chocolate Pizza
Milk Chocolate, spiced gum drops, mixed nuts, coffee beans, marshmallows, white chocolate, and
walnuts
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Bittersweet, milk, or white chocolate, chopped, according to variation
Toppings, according to preference (LG used gum drops, white chocolate chips, walnuts, and espresso
beans)
Coat a 9-by-12 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, and line with parchment, leaving an
overhang on ends.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Pour
into baking sheet, and spread in an even layer.
Immediately sprinkle toppings over chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Peel off parchment,
and break bark into pieces.