Sausage and Ham Pizza

Honestly, I wish I was more creative with this month. Sadly, by that time I realized that the challenge was done, I'd done nothing creative for pizza. I've already seen other Daring Bakers Pizza, and some of them just wow me to no end. Some sweet ones that I really never thought about. Daring Bakers never cease to amaze me..

I've been rather busy, so I decided to just go the simple route. Sausage, Pepperoni, Ham, etc. The usual's. To be blunt, I was kind of disappointed in a way with this months challenge. It's not that I don't like pizza, I mean, I love pizza. It's just, I'm still waiting to get a challenge where I'm just so excited to trying. I mean, I make pizza dough all the time. It's how my family likes pizza; homemade. Though, I know there are many that don't do this, so this months challenge might of been pretty exciting for some. I want to try something I've never done ;P

All in all though, it's always fun to make pizza from scratch. Can't wait to see the next challenge!

Daring Bakers

Recipe

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter)

4 1/2 cups Unbleached Bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
1 tbsp sugar
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting


NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water. The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2. Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil (a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.


DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

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8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Or

10. FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.

During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

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11. FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12. FOR GF: Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

Or

13. FOR GF: Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

REMARKS:
Tossing links: Link, Link 2,Link 3, Link 4

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NOTE ON SAUCE: Your sauce (any) should not be too thick as it will thicken in the hot oven. Less is more but make the less truly more by using quality ingredients.

SUCE IDEAS: Pestos, white or brown sauce, tomato sauce, sour cream, thick cream, Bolognese sauce, etc…
Check here for sauce recipes: http://www.tenspeedpress.com/page.php3?ftr=300


TOPPING IDEAS: Seafood, fish, meat (dry, cured, smoked or ground), cheeses (Gruyère, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta, Maroille, Munster, etc…), nuts, tofu, veggies (tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, hearts of palm, zucchinis, pumpkin, red onions, etc…), herbs (mixes, fresh or dried), spices (garlic, gourmet salt, pepper, curry, berbere, ras-el-hanout, za’atar, etc…), nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashew nuts, Brasil nuts, macadamia nuts, etc…)….

Homemade Pizza

After making this, I know vow never to order pizza out again. I, and so has my family, never want to eat pizza out. Making it homemade is so much better! And this recipe is absolutely fantastic! Easy and delicious!


Recipe

Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas
1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar


1. In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid), add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.


2. Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand.


Preparing the Pizzas

Ingredients
Olive oil
Cornmeal

Toppings such as
Tomato sauce
Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
Feta cheese
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
Italian sausage, cooked ahead
Chopped fresh basil
Pesto
Pepperoni, thinly sliced
Onions, thinly sliced
Sliced ham


1. Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

2. Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.

3. Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way. About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza. One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza.

4. Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.

5. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

6. Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.

7. Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.

8. Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.

Tagliatelle with Smashed Peas, Sausage, and Ricotta Cheese

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of peas. However, I came across this recipe the other day, and I thought it would be a good dish to my boyfriend Chris, who actually likes a vegetable! Chris, my picky eater boyfriend is so picky that it literally will sometimes drive me insane. Theres a lot that I can't cook with because of the fact that he can't stand some of the things I cook with. And me being me, I use a lot of different spices and love to add a lot of vegetables to my food; Which he hates.

For example, I can't cook with onions. He will ultimately taste it right away if I cook with it. It's ridiculous! I can't cook with carrots or garlic and nor can I cook with broccoli, spinach or green beans. Most of them being vegetables and also being stuff I love to cook with, which, makes it hard for me to cook something for him that he'll actually enjoy and like.

The recipe sounded pretty easy and something that he'd actually eat since there were peas in it. I didn't really instead to really eat it because I'm not to big of a fan for peas, but I decided to at least try it. And to my surprise, I now have a new liking for peas. I think I came to dislike peas from my mother whom would always buy the canned peas with all the juice, which I loathed! The dish was actually kind of light, not to heavy, and really satisfing. Best part, there was garlic in this dish and Chris didn't even notice! Hehe.

Recipe

1 pd. tagliatelle pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pd. hot italian sausage, casings removed
1 pd. frozen peas, thawed
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 bunch of basil leaves, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1 tsp. salt


1. Bring a large pot to a boil on medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon the break up the sausage into bite size pieces. When sausage starts to brown, after about 5 minutes, set aside.

3. Add the peas to the pan and using the back of the wooden spoon, smash the peas. Turn off the heat. Add the ricotta cheese along with the cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding the reserved cooking water in 1/4 cup additions, if needed, to moisten the pasta.

4. Return sausage to the pan. Add the basil, pecorino romano cheese, and salt. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

Sausage Bread Stuffing

I am a huge bread fanatic! Anything that has bread with it, I'm all over it. So it's no surprise to find that one of my favorite dishes during Thanksgiving is the Stuffing. I absolutely love stuffing and I always look forward to having it when Thanksgiving comes around. And stuffing is so diverse that there is so many different combinations that can be thought up for stuffing!

For me, I always like meat in my stuffing. The traditional type is great and all, but honestly, it's kind of boring. To plain. I need a little bit more in it. Something to make it more special. And what I like to have in stuffing is little bite size pieces of delicious, sweet Italian Sausage! The two are just great together and make a really fabulous stuffing.

The stuffing was a complete hit for Thanksgiving and everyone, as well as I, very much enjoyed this stuffing. So soft and savory. It was very comforting. I wanted to add some broccoli into this stuffing, but we had a few broccoli haters at the house so I kindly didn't add any for this one. But, adding it would be delicious.

Recipe

1 lb. hot italian pork sausage, casing removed
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 (16 oz.) packet Pepper Farm Herb Stuffing
2 tbsp. fresh parsley


1. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, cook italian sausage until sausage is browned, stirring to separate the meat.

2. Add celery and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add broth and heat to a boil. Remove from heat.

3. Place stuffing and parsley in a large bowl. Pour broth mixture over stuffing. Mix lightly. Serve immediately or cover and keep warm in a 350 degree oven for up t0 30 minutes.

Baked Penne with Sausage

Mmmm - Sausage. So tasty, so delicious. I love Sausage...

Aside from that, I've been craving sausage. I prefer the turkey sausage cause it generally not greasy at all; which I like. Of course, I am a pasta girl. So I threw my favorite pasta in with the sausage, along with mozzarella cheese. Mmm, delicious it was. I like my sausage burnt. I don't know about everyone else, but I actually prefer a lot of things burnt. French Fries, potatoes, chicken, steak, sausage, etc. But it usually has to do with meat when it comes to being burnt. When it comes to pasta, burnt pasta doesn't sounds apatising at all. Anyways, I cooked the pasta, burnt my sausage, then put it in the casserole dish, layered it with sauce and a lot of mozzarella cheese, and boy was it cheesy when it was done! Made it even better!! And it was so simple. All in all, I was a happy girl today!

Recipe

1 pkg. penne pasta
2 pkg. south beach diet turkey sausage
3 cups sausage and basil marinara sauce
2 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Bring large pot of boiling, salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8-9 minutes. (Don't overcook because it will cook more when you bake it.) Drain pasta well.

2. While pasta cooks, cook sausage on outdoor grill or stove top grill pan until well done. Let cool, then cut into diagonal slices about 3/4 inch thick.

3. Spray a 10" X 13" glass casserole dish. Layer pasta, then sausage, then spread sauce evenly over the top. Top with mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake 25 minutes, then remove from oven and stir slightly. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan and bake about 5 to 10 minutes more, until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Serve hot.

My Favorite Lasagna

Lasagna; A layer of pasta, cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese and sauce. Also known as my absolute favorite comfort meal! Ever since I tried lasagna, I've been addicted to it! For the longest of time, I was completely afraid of trying it. I grew up being afraid to try it because I saw how my mother made it; and being a little kid, your usually always afraid of trying new things. And all the things she put in it made me think it was disgusting! But when I finally tried it a few year ago; Oh my god was I addicted! It being as heavy as it is, I limit it to only having it every once and awhile and when I finally have some, I'm am the happiest girl ever!!

Recipe

8 ounces lasagna noodles [uncooked]
1 pound lean ground chuck
1 pound italian sausage
1 jar (16 ounces) Tomato and Basil sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 slices of provolone cheese

1. Cook sausage till fully cooked. Drain. Set aside.
2. Cook chuck till fully cooked. Drain. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350' degrees
4. In a large bowl, mix the tomato sauce, sausage and ground chuck in. Put the cottage cheese in the mixture.
5. Start layering the pasta in a dish. Lay 4 layers of lasagna noodles on the dish. Pour a layer of the tomato meat sauce on top. Put ricotta cheese in 6 spot across from each other. Put a layer of mozzarella cheese on top. Lay 4 lasagna noodles on top. Repeat 2-3 more times. Put foil on top of dish. Put the dish in to the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
6. Take dish out and take the foil off. Lay 6 slices of provolone cheese on top. Put back in to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
7. Take and of oven and let cool till warm.