Stone baked Pizza

Homemade Italian Pizza

pizza dough recipe

We'll start with the thought that you already made your pizza dough. If you have frozen your dough, take it up the day before and leave it in the fridge. An hour before you are going to bake your pizza you should take the dough from the fridge and prepare a spot on the counter top with some flour. Take your dough and press it down in the flour and then turn it over. Work the dough into a circle and spread it into a flat 10cm circle. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and leave to warm and rise for 30 minutes. 

 

 

After the dough has had 30 minutes to rise, place your baking stone in the middle of the oven and turn the oven to 275C. If you don't have a baking stone, turn your largest baking pan upside down and put it in the middle of the oven. The reason for using a hot surface to bake your pizza is so that the Dough seals quickly and has a chance to raise before the toppings make your dough soggy. This is what will make it more like pizza your ordered instead of just plain old homemade stuff. The old way of putting your dough and pizza on a cold tray and then putting everything in the oven means you are starting with a tray that is room temperature and by the time the tray warms up the top of your pizza is done and has soaked through to the bottom... not good. lol

I use a Weber baking stone that is made to be durable enough to be able to use in a BBQ. 

Put a piece of parchment paper on your counter top and spread out a couple tablespoons of corn meal. this will help your pizza separate from the baking surface. How thick you want your pizza is up to your. I am using 1/4 of the recipe to make a single serving thin crust pizza. 

Once you have stretched out your dough cover it while you prepare your toppings. When your toppings are ready, uncover the dough and brush a thin layer of olive oil over it to keep it from drying out. Mozzarella cheese, peperoni, fresh mushrooms, bacon, chopped leak and some grated Parmesan cheese to top it off. 

Once your pizza is decorated the way you like slide it onto the baking stone and turn the oven down to 200C. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes depending on oven and crust thickness. You want your crust to be getting a little brown coloration and for the toppings to be down but not burned. Use a pizza peal to remove your pizza and let it stand on the counter for a couple minutes before using your pizza wheel to slice. (you don't want to burn your tongue on hot cheese!!)

For having company it can be fun to do several different pizzas and because they go fairly fast it can be a fun meal just to try several versions. Once you have done it a few times you will have the timing down so that the next pizza is ready to go in the oven just as the one before is finished. Let the kids help. They will enjoy the meal even more and it's good for kids to learn how to cook for themselves.