Homemade Pepperoni pizzas put together & ready to be prepped for the freezer.
I don’t eat a lot of pizza … pizza was always
Bob’s thing – I just went along with it. LOL
But, when I do get an urge to bite into
pizza, this is the recipe I dig for ;-)
This pizza recipe comes from my November
1984 ‘Cuisine’ cooking magazine – it is my all-time favorite pizza recipe.
Bob loved my homemade pizzas :-D
And I have been hungering for it myself … so,
I decided to spend all day in the kitchen today making homemade Pepperoni
Pizzas to freeze:
Pepperoni Pizzas packaged, labeled, and headed for the freezer for future meals.
This recipe makes dough and sauce for one
12-inch regular pizza.
I am a lazy cook, so I added everything I
wanted on my pizza (chopped green peppers & chopped mushrooms) –
except the pepperoni and cheeses – to the sauce; it works best this
way, for me ;-)
Since there is only one of me – and I am
determined to scale back on how much my petite frame can comfortably and reasonably
carry – I divided the dough into 4 pieces, for 4 individual pizzas. While I
lose weight, I STILL LIKE TO EAT more than puffed rice crackers ;-)
HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL PEPPERONI PIZZA
==DOUGH: 1 teaspoon active dry Yeast * 2/3 cup warm Water (105 to
115-degrees) * 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil * ¾ teaspoon coarse Salt *
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups Flour * Vegetable Oil for bowl * Flour for
dusting hands
Dissolve the yeast in the water, in a medium
bowl; let stand 5 minutes.
Stir oil, salt, and 1-1/2 cups of the flour
into the yeast mixture to form a rough dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly
floured surface – and knead for about 4 minutes; adding flour if necessary, to
make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Lightly oil a large bowl & place dough in
the bowl, turning to coat on all sides. Let rise, covered tightly in plastic
wrap, in a warm, in a draft-free place until tripled in bulk – about 3 to 4
hours.
Punch dough down. Roll out on a lightly
floured surface with a floured rolling pin to a 12-inch circle, or shape
into circles in round foil pans as shown, as follows: lightly flour
hands front and back, and place dough in pan – gently pulling dough into a
circle front the center out to the edges of the pan. If dough is too sticky,
lightly dust hands gain and continue shaping: do not allow center to become too
thin.
==TOMATO SAUCE: 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil * 2/3 cups sliced Onion *
1 teaspoon minced garlic * 1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) crushed Red
Pepper * Large pinch of Sugar * 1 can (28-ounces) Tomatoes,
drained and chopped * ½ cup dry White Wine * 2 teaspoons Tomato
Paste * 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil * ½ teaspoon coarse
Salt
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat
until rippling. Add onion, garlic, red pepper, & sugar; sauté, stirring
constantly – 30 seconds. Add tomatoes & wine; reduce heat to medium. Cook,
covered, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook uncovered, stirring occasionally,
until thickened – about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in basil and salt.
==PEPPERONI PIZZA: Basic Pizza Dough * Tomato sauce * 1 Tablespoon
Olive Oil, plus additional for pan * Cornmeal for pan (optional)
* 2 Tablespoons unsalted Butter * ½ teaspoon Garlic * 4
ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 1-1/2 cups) * 1/3 cup
thinly sliced Pepperoni * ¾ cup grated Mozzarella cheese * 4
Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese * Coarse Salt * Fresh ground Black
pepper * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley
Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as instructed; and
set to rise.
Make Tomato Sauce:
Heat oven to 500-degrees. Oil a 12-inch pizza
pan and sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired.
Melt butter in a heavy medium skillet over high
heat – when foam subsides, add garlic; sauté, stirring constantly – 30 seconds.
Transfer to a small bowl.
When dough has risen, complete the dough
instructions.
Place dough in prepared pan; brush surface
with 1 Tablespoon oil; spoon sauce evenly over the surface of the dough –
leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange mushrooms and pepperoni over sauce. Sprinkle
with cheeses, parsley, and salt & pepper to taste.
Bake until crust is golden brown – 15 to 18
minutes. Serve immediately.
**IF MAKING AHEAD IN ROUND FOIL PANS TO
FREEZE – prepare foil pans while dough is rising:
Lining the round foil baking pans. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS - I do it because I am frugal and will use the pans over and over again.
Stacked pans: lined & ready to fill.
Prepare dough as instructed above – divide into
4 portions …
Pizza dough divided into fourths.
… shape, and par-bake at 450-degrees, for 4
to 5 minutes: just until dough is puffed and surface appears dry:
Pizza dough rounds formed with a lip.
Pizza crusts par-baking.
Let crust cool to room temperature, then top with
sauce, cheeses, and topping of choice …
Par-baked pizza crusts cooling.
Mozzarella & Parmesan cheeses blended.
Pepperoni pizzas put together & ready to be prepped for the freezer.
TO AVOID FREEZER BURN: double wrap the prepared pizzas – either 2
layers of plastic wrap … or 1 layer of plastic wrap, and 1 layer of foil. Lay
pizzas flat in the freezer and store for up to 2 months:
Pepperoni Pizzas packaged, labeled, and headed for the freezer for future meals.
TO BAKE FROZEN PIZZAS: Preheat oven to 500-degrees. Place frozen pizza
on a lined sheet pan or pizza stone, and bake until crust is golden, and cheese
is melted – about 10 minutes.**