Boy have I missed pizza! I'm sure my husband misses it even more, because we not only don't do take out, but I haven't made homemade pizza in forever. Well that's about to change. I found and adapted an awesome recipe for Oven Fried Pizza and Simple Pizza Sauce. Both recipes are Migraine safe and MSG free. After my husband and I devoured our pizzas he instantly went into inspiration mode and started coming up with different ways to have the pizza....buffalo style, Italian style, with a cream sauce, white pizza, you name it. As we experiment I will make sure to add to the recipe.
Side Note: This is the pan I used for the pizza. I swear by it. I use it for my steaks in the winter, paella, and now oven fried pizza dough. My pan might be 12" and definitely was twice the cost when I bought it 5 years ago. Anyway....
Start with your dough first.
Oven Fried Pizza Dough (inspired by Alex Guarnaschelli)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
3 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic White Flour, plus about 1 cup for rolling
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 scant tablespoon organic/local honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating the bowl.
In a large bowl mix the water and yeast and stir. Allow to sit about 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.
Using a sieve or strainer, sift about half of the flour right over the water mixture. Then with your hands mix it together. Once smooth, add the salt, pepper and honey and mix by hand to blend. Then sift the remaining flour over top and mix to blend.
Heavily flour a cutting board and turn the dough out onto the board. Knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes adding flour as needed to prevent dough from being sticky. Once the dough is smooth and all of the ingredients are integrated, place it inside a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clear wrap. Place in a warm dry place and allow dough to rise at least 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in volume. I let mine rest for 5 hours because I left and came back to it.
Press gently on the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each half into a loose ball. Cover the dough with a clean towel and allow it to rest for an additional 15 minutes.
(use this time to make the sauce- see below).
Once dough has sat 15 minutes take your cast iron pan and place it over medium high heat on your stove. Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is smoking add one stretched by hand pizza dough round. Use the back of a spatula to spread the dough clear to the edge. Salt and pepper the top of the dough. Once the under side is browned flip the dough. Salt and pepper the top, add the homemade simple pizza sauce, and I then added browned ground beef that was seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Add a couple pinches of crushed red pepper flakes and once the underside is browned place the whole pan in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until pizza is done.
Repeat with remaining dough and toppings. My husband topped his the same but the last layer was mozzarella cheese, then more salt and pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Yum! Just remember mozzarella cheese is not migraine safe...and unless its made from pasteurized whole milk and has no preservatives it's not MSG free. You could make your own ricotta cheese and add that. I've done a layer of that below the sauce and it was delicious!
Now on to the simple sauce.
Simple Pizza Sauce: (adapted from Don Pintabona)
1 28 ounce can Bionaturae Whole Canned Tomatoes
1/4 cup Organic Spring Onions sliced thin. Using white parts too
1/2 tsp minced garlic
3-4 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 tsp or more sea salt
pinch of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauté the spring onions in the olive oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the start to turn a little brown. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute. Take your whole tomatoes and dump them in a bowl, juice and all, and use your hands to crush the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt and pepper to the sauté pan. Bring to a simmer and then continue simmering on low for 15 minutes. Can be stored in the fridge for up to one week. This sauce recipe perfectly covered both pizza rounds from the recipe above.
Enjoy!!!!
