It’s pizza night tonight – no take out necessary. I’ve got dough defrosting in the refrigerator from my last pizza night. All that’s needed are a few ingredients from the refrigerator, and it’s as simple as that. The next time you make homemade pizza, be sure to make extra dough to freeze. Then when it’s suddenly pizza night, you can whip one up as easy as ….
Sweet Pepper, Salami and Basil Pizza
Pizza dough for one extra-large pizza (recipe below)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (recipe below)
3 ounces salami or pepperoni
1 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers
1 cup basil leaves, torn in half
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 500 F. Stretch out pizza dough in a large rectangular shape on parchment paper.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over crust, leaving one inch clear around the edge of the crust. Arrange salami over pizza. Scatter peppers and basil over the salami. Sprinkle with cheese. Brush the exposed crust with olive oil.
Slide the parchment and pizza onto a baking stone on lowest rack in oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tomato Sauce
Makes 1 cup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, with juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes, until sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Pizza Dough Recipe
Adapted from a recipe by Alice Waters. Makes 1 extra large or 2 medium pizza crusts.
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
Stir yeast and lukewarm water together in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and semolina. Mix well. Let sit until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Combine remaining flour and salt in another bowl. Add to yeast with cold water and olive oil. Mix well to form a dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead with hands until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or use a mixer with a dough hook, and knead about 5 minutes.) Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Punch dough down, and let rise another 45 minutes. Divide dough into 2 equal disks (or 4 if you would like small pizzas.) Let rest 30 minutes before shaping. Lightly flour a work surface. Using your fingers or heels of your hands, stretch the disks out to desired shape.
Now THERE is a very scrumptious looking pizza! Earthy and everything right about it! (I don’t actually eat salami, but I couldn’t be more tempted!)
We had pizza night last night and used leftover dough. 🙂 It was our first time doing that, but won’t be our last. Love the flavor combo here.
I love this!
Lynda, I am stealing your idea about the rectangular shape – makes for tidy pieces too. We love our Friday pizza nights and cannot imagine going back to greasy/salt pizza albeit from nice pizza places.
Looks wonderful. I usually make a lot of pizza dough but I didn’t realize I could freeze my dough. This pizza looks like something that would make our Friday night around here very special.
I am seriously going to make this when I get the tomato and basil growing in the garden, this looks so good and I always make mine rectangular too.. Was there a Rule? c
No rule – except to make it as big as possible to feed a hungry family!
________________________________
Delicious looking! That is a nice choice of toppings.
Cheers,
Rosa
You should definitely check out JT’s no knead pizza dough (originally from Jim Lahey, NYC), it’s a real winner and easy to make. http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/jim-laheys-no-knead-pizza-dough-popeye-pizza/
Pepper, salami and maybe a dollop of goats cheese and this would be my perfect pizza.
The key to great pizza is a great dough. seems you have a good recipe for this one. I like your topping as well 🙂
What a great combination of flavors for pizza! This looks so delicious and flavorful. Thanks for the inspiration Lynda!
What a gorgeous pizza!!!!
This is making me so hungry…. Beautiful!!
Dang….we haven’t done pizza night in forever, and here is another great one from you to try. Still my all-time favorite ZA is yours with potato and broccoli rate, though this one could give it a run for the money.
Yum, this is making me very hungry! Love a basic pizza sometimes with a helping of salami – naughty but so good from time to time.
This makes me want never to eat pizza out again!
love your choice of toppings, YUM!