Pizza Recipe and a Few Words for Pi Day 2020

Like many of you, I've been left reeling from how swiftly the world has changed in the last few days.

Typically when national and global emergencies happen, there is at least one thing we can do to help others, but the atmosphere surrounding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation feels different... like it's every person for themselves, rather than unification.

This has left me feeling heartbroken and like there is nothing I can do to help other people (other than to stay home and wash my hands frequently). I've been racking my brains the last couple of days and then when I remembered that today, March 14, is Pi Day (3.14), I thought of something: Why don't I share my recipe for pizza dough?

I admit, it's a rather superficial thing to do but it's the best that I have right now, and it's something that people can do from the comfort of their own homes with supplies they probably already have on hand. I won't bore you with a story of how this recipe came to me, just know that it's something I think I do well... at least, the pizzas come out tasting amazing!

So here you go:

Ingredients

  • 1 package (2.25 tsps) dry active yeast
  • 1 tsp honey (or sugar, whatever)
  • 1 cup warm water (110°F)
  • 1` tsp salt
  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • ~3 cups purpose flour


The Dough

WASH YOUR HANDS, then...

Dissolve yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of warm water in a mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes while the yeast rehydrates.

Add the yeast mixture, the remaining 3/4 cup of warm water, 1 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp olive oil, and 2.5 cups of flour to a mixing bowl. Stir together to form a soft and sticky dough.

WASH YOUR HANDS

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a well-floured surface. You want to use enough flour to keep the dough from sticking too much to your surface or your hands, you'll end up with an elastic, soft, and slightly sticky dough.

Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and set in a warm place to rise for about an hour and a half (you want the dough to be about double its original size).

WASH YOUR HANDS

Turn the dough out onto your lightly floured surface, press it flat to deflate it, then split it into two equal-sized balls. Knead each ball to form a smooth surface, then set them on a lightly-floured surface to rest for another 30 minutes.

After this, roll the dough balls out into a circle for baking, or you can wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several days.

Making the pizza

Each ball of dough can be rolled into a 10-inch pizza (approximately).

Preheat your oven to 500°F. WASH YOUR HANDS. Dust a heavy duty baking sheet with corn meal, place the pizza onto the pan and start crafting your favorite pizza.

You can go classic with marinara, basil, mozzarella, and freshly sliced tomatoes or get wild with pear, prosciutto, and gorgonzola. Pinterest is your friend.

The most important thing here is to not overload your pizza, and to WASH YOUR HANDS.

Place the pan at the bottom of your oven for five minutes to crisp the bottom and then to the middle rack for 3-5 minutes (or until the bottom is browned and crisp and your cheese is bubbling).

This is a photo from Bob's and my trip to Italy from March of last year. I share this here because we had some absolutely beautiful pizza in Italy and I know that things there are intense right now. Send some positive thoughts in that direction, folks.

pair your pizza

Wash your hands again, then pick out wine or beer (if you are of age) to pair with your pizza.

I suggest Sangiovese, Gamay, or Pinot Noir with tomato based pizzas. For pizzas with a buttery, white sauce I like to pair a white wine with bright acidity (Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, or Vinho Verde). If your pizza is spicy or has an asian influence, a dry Riesling or a Gewürztraminer is great. When in doubt, rosé is usually a good option.

Bobby likes to pair all the pizzas I make for him with a pale ale or an IPA, but you do you. Pizza and most any beer is delicious

FInally,

Wash your hands, enjoy your food, and most importantly, take care of each other. We will get through this together. I love you all.

Heather Daenitz is the founder and photographer of Craft & Cluster, a wine & beer photography and social media marketing company based in Santa Barbara County, California.

When she isn't photographing and telling you to wash your hands, Heather can be found hanging out with her husband, two dogs, and three chickens in their backyard garden, drinking beer made in said garden.