Quick, Thin-Crust Pizza
This tasty pizza recipe was inspired by Jamie Oliver's and will become a
staple in your last-minute dinners! It lacks the greasiness, preservatives, and hidden sugar of its frozen or take-away counterparts and will leave you satisfied. Serve it up with a salad or other veggie side, top it with whatever you have around or prefer, and comment on your favorite toppings. In my house that usually means my home-made pizza sauce (you can find that recipe at the bottom); thinly-sliced bell peppers; Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese (or a combination); and a last grating of Parmesan cheese and a garnish of small basil leaves.
Quick, Thin-Crust Pizza
Dough (makes 4 medium, thin-crust pizzas):
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour + a little extra to prevent sticking (I use unbleached)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
herbs (whatever you have-rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
grate in 1-2 cloves garlic (depending on size. If you use fresh cloves rather than the jarred garlic or garlic powder then you will not get garlic breath/aftertaste)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
a splash of water
almond meal to dust the surface (you can also use plain flour or corn meal which gives a nice crispy texture, but I prefer the almond meal for a fun and interesting addition to the texture)
Mix dry ingredients in food processor
Add yogurt and mix
Add water very slowly until the dough starts to form a ball as it goes around. Only add a few drops at a time-it’s very easy to add too much (in which case simply add a little more flour
Once the ball has formed remove from food processor and lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking
Lay dough on almond meal-dusted surface
Divide dough into 4 (or 3 if you want them bigger or thicker crust)
Roll out one ball into a thin layer
Place dough in metal-handled pan on the stovetop. The pan should have already been warmed at a medium heat with a drizzle of olive in it and the dough should take up the bottom of the pan and go up the sides a little.
Add toppings (sauce, meat, vegetables, cheese, any additional herbs etc.) and allow to cook until the bottom of the crust is cooked. This should take about 3-5 minutes
Put in broiler for approximately 2-3 minutes just to make the cheese and other toppings crispy. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Pizza Sauce
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
2 heaping tablespoons sun dried tomatoes (from jar)
Splash of balsamic vinegar (about 1 tsp)
Pepper
Generous amount of basil and oregano (or whatever herbs you prefer)
1-2 cloves garlic
Blend everything in a blender and simply pour on top of the pizza.
