Lent has arrived and it’s always a challenge to figure out meals that the carnivore, AKA “man of the house”, will approve. I like fresh seafood…he likes salmon loaf and tuna casserole. As a compromise, I often pick up some Trader Joe’s ready made pizza dough and create a pizza Margherita. But I knew I could make an even better crust from scratch. My plan was to whip up this dough on Thursday and give it an overnight rise in the fridge…well, life got in the way and I didn’t get started on the dough till Friday. The slow cool rise allows for extra flavor development, but the dough was quite lovely with a more traditional one hour doubling in a warm spot. I topped our dough with sliced Roma tomatoes which I had drained on paper toweling, sliced fresh mozzarella, a chiffonade of basil plus a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper.
I stretched the dough by placing on on the back of my hands and allowed gravity do it’s thing with a little help from my thumbs and knuckles to rotate. I placed the stretched dough on my pizza peel which was topped with a sheet of parchment. A little poking and prodding with my fingers finished the shaping, then I added my toppings. The oven and pizza stone were preheated to 550º (the stone needs some extra time to heat thoroughly) and slid the pizza and parchment onto the hot stone. Baked till the crust was browned and the cheese was bubbly resulted in a simple, yummy meatless meal.
This is my February contribution to Twelve Loaves, a monthly bread baking group started by my friend, Lora, of Cake Duchess. This month’s theme was open…make sure to check out the wonderful loaves below.
If you’d like to join the Twelve Loaves group, here are a few simple rules:
- When you post your Twelve Loaves bread on your blog, make sure that you mention the Twelve Loaves challenge in your blog post; this helps us to get more members as well as share everyone’s posts. Please make sure that your bread is inspired by the month’s theme. February 2013′s theme is open and you can bake whatever bread you like.
- Please link your post to the linky tool at the bottom of this blog post. It must be a bread baked to the Twelve Loaves theme.
- Have your Twelve Loaves bread that you baked this February, 2013 posted on your blog by February 28, 2013.
Ingredients
- Recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home via The Cafe Sucre Farine
- 1 ½ cups warm water, 105-115 degrees (use a thermometer)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, (one 1/4 ounce packet)
- 4 cups unbleached bread flour (preferred) or all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine water, honey, and yeast. Let rest about 5-10 minutes..mixture should be foamy. Mix flours and salt the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the dough hook. Knead on low speed (check your manufacturer's instructions so you don't burn out your motor) or knead by hand for 10 minutes. Dough should be elastic and slightly sticky.
- Oil a mixing bowl, add dough then turn to coat dough with oil. Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour. Or, if you have time, put in the fridge for an overnight rise...for improved flavor development. If using this method, bring to room temperature before proceeding.
- Punch dough down and divide dough in half. Pat out on pizza pan, top and bake as directed in your pizza recipe.
- Yields: enough for 2 pizzas.
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
Liz, I love the simple things in life, the classic things like your wonderful homemade pizza with freshly sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil! What a delicious and fitting meal for Lent!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
I liked the idea of overnight rise of the dough in the fridge. Your dough looks good and the pizza base looks great!
There was a time in my life when I didn’t like pizza. I don’t know what was going on in my middle school mind. Now I love it. At least once a week we have pizza night!
Lizzy , that pizza looks great ! I made pizza last month using a no-knead dough recipe from Serious Eats , tastes really good with the toppings but the crust didn’t turn out nicely as yours
Always looking for a good pizza dough recipe and what a beautiful looking pizza margherita!
I have yet to find a wonderful pizza dough that I want to make again and again. Maybe it´s because I´m not crazy about pizza. Anyway, it looks so good Liz, I love fresh tomatoes and good mozzarella on it! Here there´s a `pizza mozzarella´ that´s completely different and what you get when most of the times you order a margharita.
As a die hard carnivore also, I’d still dive into this pizza with gusto. Margherita is my absolute favorite. I’ve promised the family pizza tonight so maybe I’ll give yours (and Chris’) dough a try, though I don’t think I can do the knuckle twirly thing like you can.
Just in time as I was searching for a good pizza dough recipe. Lucky me has all the ingredients too. Now to figure out the toppings…
I’m sorry but I didn’t understand where do I add the honey!
I want to try this recipe on our Pizza’s Tuesday
I’ll update the instructions to make it clear…the honey goes in with the water and yeast. Thanks for catching my goof:)
I’m such a carnivore toooo-and homemade pizza is what saved me last year! This crust looks fab!
We love love love pizza. I actually still dust my pizza pan with corn meal to prevent sticking, but I love the idea of using parchment. I bet that makes for easy transfer! I have not completely loved the pizza dough recipes I have used in the past, I would love to give this one a try!
Yum – I love your creative toppings!!! Pizza is such a favourite over here and your dough sounds delicious too.
I love pizza and actually we all love tuna noodle casserole which my family is having for dinner since I have a class this evening. Your pizza looks wonderful and quick to whip together which is always a plus in my book.
Beautiful pizza dough!! Have been meaning to make pizza for the longest time!! But too lazy to do so. hehe.. Your crust looks gorgeous! And I love your choice of toppings too! Simple and delishH!!!
That must have been one hell of a Margherita pizza! Better than Trader Joe’s. 
Yummy! We love homemade pizza!!!!
Mmm… looking soo good:) Love the photo too.
Homemade pizza dough is THE best. So much better than the store bought stuff. Yours looks fantastic!
oh Liz! I love this! and Margherita pizza is my favorite! I’m so used to buying pizza dough but I really need to make it myself! going to try this recipe soon. thank you!
I’ve been making a lot of yeasty dough lately, this one sounds super tasty!
I always think it’s funny when Lent rolls around– then people eat on Friday’s on how I eat everyday
Makes my life so much easier!
I love homemade pizza and Margherita is one of my favourites, but I have to say, this time of year our tomatoes don’t taste like anything so I usually oven dry them the night before so they really burst with flavour (2-3 hours 200°F) http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/the-humble-tomato/.
Proofing pizza dough in the refrigerator is something I picked up from my Mom, it really works well. Does Lent mean you can’t eat meat at all, or just on Fridays?
Can I come for dinner?
Your pizza looks so tasty!
This is my favorite pizza combo–it looks delicious Lizzy.
Now this is a going back to the basics type of recipes. Worth the work for sure. Love the honey in the dough for a little sweet flavor. Looks wonderful.
This is absolutely hilarious Lizzy; my mixer is running right now with this pizza dough
Your pizza looks wonderful, hope mine is as good! Thanks for the link too 
Perfect pizza dough, Lizzy! I love making my own at home and would really enjoy trying your recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Yummmmm This looks perfect!
Homemade pizza dough is on my list of things to make. I have always wanted to try homemade pizza!
aaah Lizzy! look amazing!! love pizza dough, always I make at home. I bookmarked this!! xx
I have gotten so I very rarely ever buy dough anymore. I love making my own dough. I love that fact that it tastes good and I know exactly what (simple) ingredients go into it. Love the thought of using honey, mine recipe calls for sugar. Your pizza looks perfect Liz!
The overnight rise is very interesting. It also sounds like a good way to build yeast confidence. My challenge would be to not tiptoe downstairs in the middle of the night to check on it. Your dough looks perfect and love the toppings.
Oh yes, pizza it is! My teenager can live on pizza alone, and when he wanted to lean how to make it, we had pizza every day for about a month or so.
Pizza has been my pregnancy craving NUMBER ONE. I need to make another batch of homemade dough! Thank you for sharing another dose of inspiration. I hope you are having a great week and are staying warm.
What a great Friday lenten meal! Pizza is probably my most favorite food in the whole world…and love this dough recipe! Like you, mine is usually TJ’s, but must try yours! It’s perfect, Liz!!!
I’m going to have to give this dough a try! I’m always on the lookout for some new pizza dough recipes. I generally use ap flour, but I think I might take your recommendation and use bread.
Thanks for the pizza dough recipe Liz…great that you can prepared ahead…love the simplicity of your pizza.
Hope you are enjoying your week
I’ll never turn down a slice (or two!) of pizza. Never. And although I like the ones loaded with toppings, usually the more simple kind are more flavorful (you really get to taste everything you eat that way). Great looking dough recipe. And great idea to line your peel with some parchment. Good stuff – thanks.
Oh….beautiful pizza Liz! I used to get my dough from Trader Joe’s…..but this looks too easy and too good not to try! : )
Oh Liz this looks amazing! I bought Trader Joes Pizza dough one time in a hurry and it didn’t seem to rise very well and was rather hard. Maybe I just had a bad batch! Your dough looks superb!
I have always been looking for a good pizza crust! thanks
A basic pizza dough is a must! I also love margherita pizza!
It definitely looks professional my friend, yum
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Ooooo…these sound wonderful! And they look beautiful!!
That looks soooo good! I love pizza with fresh ingredients and using an overnight cold fermentation.
Great looking pizza dough, Lizzy. I love to make my own pizza; like you say, it’s always so much better than what you can buy anywhere else. I’m trying to think of meatless meals for lent too! xx
Man that is great looking pizza – would love some of that. It is just so fresh and summery.
Where have I been not to have heard of 12 Loaves? Sounds great. Wish I could participate this month. Homemade pizza dough is the best and I like the idea of a slow, cool rise. (Love Chris’ site.)
Fridays can be so hard for our carnivore family members. It reminds me of that old 80′s Wendy’s commercial… “Where’s the beef”. I would totally love this pizza and the dough… great job.:) My hubby and son would want me to throw some pepperoni on it. Yish… they are so difficult.
this is one of my favorite things! the combo of basil and mozzarella is so refreshing! just love pizza!
am so glad I found your blog, absolutely gorgeous place. Love the pizza !
also I find the barcode scanner soooo cool
What a great looking pizza. I feel like grabbing a slice through the screen.
Second pizza recipe on a blog I’ve seen in five minutes. I think the “Food Gods” are telling me I need more pizza in my life and this one look like a delicious place to start
I can’t wait to try this dough out for pizza night tomorrow night. Love the addition of honey. It is gorgeous, Lizzy. I love this for this months’ Twelve Loaves:)