Pizza ala' Shelia and Patrick

By Shelia Senghas
@earthbaker

I made pizza dough from my Kitchen Aid booklet. This is my first try making pizza. The mixer made making this dough a breeze and it came out perfect. My great nephew worked at Vinny's Italian Restaurant in a small tourist town near us. He helped me with the toppings that were a favorite at the restaurant. The owner's, I am sorry to say, have retired and they closed their doors after a successful 12 year run, however, thanks to my great nephew Patrick, who donned my apron and the chef hat my sister gave me for Christmas, pizza will live on and will be served at my table often.

Rating:

★★★★★ 1 vote

Comments:

21 Comments

Serves:

Method:

Bake

Ingredients

2 pkg: active dry yeast
2 c: warm water (105 to 115 degrees f)
1 tsp: salt
4 tsp: olive oil
5-7 c: all purpose flour
1 Tbsp: cornmeal
: pizza sauce
: pizza toppings *note: pizza toppings below

How to Make Pizza ala' Shelia and Patrick

Step-by-Step

1Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, olive oil, and 5 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 2 to 3 minutes.
2Continue mixing using Speed 2 and add the remaining flour. Adding only 1/2 cup at a time, continue to mix about 2 to 3 minutes, or, until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead on speed 2 about 3 or 4 minutes longer.
3Put the dough in a large greased bowl. Turn the dough once to grease top. Cover with a light weight dish towel and let rise in warm place, free from draft, for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down.
I have a lot of yeast spores in my kitchen and the dough will rise while sitting on the counter, however, you can place the bowl with your dough in your oven with a pan of warm water sitting on the rack below the bowl. That should keep it warm enough to rise.
4Brush 2-14 inch pizza pans with oil and then sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide the dough into 2 balls and lay each ball of dough onto your pans. Using your fingers, gently press dough across bottom of each pan, forming a collar around the edge to hold in toppings. Brush or spoon pizza sauce onto pizza within 1/2 inch of edge. *NOTE: If you use too much pizza sauce your pizza will be soggy.
5*To caramelize the onions, slice 1 med. onion and cook in 1 Tbs. oil for 5 minutes on medium heat(do not stir to allow the onions to sweat)and continue cooking and stirring 5 more minutes or until the onions are medium brown. Drain the oil from the onions on paper towels.
6NOTE:PIZZA TOPPINGS: To assemble pizza: Put pieces of soft mozzarella cheese and provolone cheese on top of pizza sauce, lay on caramelized onions, olives sliced, small pineapple chunks, mushrooms sliced thin, sweet mini peppers sliced thin, and garlic minced fine. Add grated parmigiano reggiano cheese on top.
7Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
8*NOTE: After the pizza is cooked add Campari tomatoes sliced thin, chopped basil, and spinach leaves. I also curled prosicutto around my fingers and laid them on top as well. Slice and serve!