Menu for Monday? PIZZA!

I think I've found the best pizza dough recipe. It's pretty easy to do, takes only 30 minutes to rise (although I like to give it an hour if I have time), and takes only 12 minutes or so to bake. It's best if you have a pizza stone and some cornmeal to dist it with, but if you don't, a cookie sheet and a little flour will do. We bought some pepperoni, bell pepper and onion to top with. If you like red sauce, you'll need some spaghetti sauce or make up a little tomato sauce and italian seasoning. But I like to just drizzle with a little olive oil.


Monday's Menu
Breakfast: pancakes, syrup, juice
Lunch: Meatloaf sandwiches
Dinner: Pizza

Pizza Dough (recipe from http://www.cooks.com/)

4 cups bread or all purpose flour 

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (105-110 degrees)
1 packet active dry yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar, or 1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup milk or 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven 450°F.

In a large bowl, mixe the flour and salt, stir to combine well. Set aside.

Combine the lukewarm water, sugar or honey and yeast. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes. Allow to foam (or proof, this lets you know if your yeast is still active. If it doesn't foam, throw it out and try again, your water probably wasn't quite warm enough or was too hot).

Next, mix the starter (yeast water) and the milk or water with the flour mixture and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir together using a wooden spoon or clean hands.

Knead on a floured board for about 8 minutes or until you get a smooth elastic rubbery dough ball (or use your Kitchenaid and dough hook for the hard work, while you do something like get a salad together).

Set aside in bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil to keep the dough from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel.

Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes to an hour. Flatten dough and press out into a circle to fit the pan. Spread it out evenly, don't be afraid to lift underneath to stretch the dough. Sprinkle baking pan with cornmeal or flour. Top with spaghetti sauce or drizzle with olive oil. Add toppings such as mozzarella, pepperoni, veggies, etc.

Bake about 12-14 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. When the bottom looks browned and the cheese is bubbly, it's ready.

This recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas, so either bake both, or refrigerate the dough to make bread sticks at a later date (like tomorrow, when I tell you how to make breadsticks with the leftover dough, if available).