Pizzas

Yesterday was a busy day for me so I was in need of a quick dinner solution.  Luckily I had all the ingredients needed to make us some hot, crispy pizza paninis.

All you need for this simple panini sandwich is some bread, sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.  Try not to leave the sauce on the bread too long before cooking it.  The bread gets a little soggy if you leave it sit too long to absorb into the soft bread.

The possibilities for this panini are endless.  Treat it like a pizza and add any desired topping you wish.  This makes a great snack late at night too!

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I love, love, love pizza!  I could eat pizza all the time if it was up to me.  My husband gets so pizza’d out, that’s how often I want it.

So to get him to eat it more often, I bribe him by making pizzas with his favorite ingredients.  I’m not a big meat eater so I like mine just cheese of with green peppers or tomato slices.  He on the other hand wants meat.

So yesterday I tried out a new pizza dough recipe that worked out quite well.  The last dough recipe I was using just wasn’t right so I never shared it here.  This recipe is nice and easy and makes great tasting dough.

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 package active dry or fresh yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water (105º F to 115º F)
3 cups all-purpose flour (Use good quality all-purpose or a bread flour)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water.

2. In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes.

3. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled.)

4. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

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