Individual Crispy Loaded Pizza Recipes

HOMEMADE INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS

Steps:

• (this dough can also be made in a bread maker):
• Put warm water in a large bowl, add the yeast and let stand for about 7 minutes for the yeast to activate. Don't use hot water or you will ruin the yeast.
• Whisk in honey and olive oil. Add flour, then the salt and knead until well-combined (use a dough hook on speed 2 if using a mixer). The dough should be sticky.
• Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until doubled in volume (45 min to 1 hr at room temp or 25-30 min in a warm 100˚F oven).
• Combine all sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan.
• Simmer over medium/low heat until it is reduced by about a third. It needs to thicken or the pizza will be too juicy. If you need to cool sauce to room temp faster, transfer sauce to a bowl and place in a bath of ice water.
• Generously sprinkle baking pans with cornmeal; this keeps the crust crisper and prevents sticking to the pan. You can also oil pans if you don't have cornmeal.
• Grease a clean work surface and your hands with olive oil. Transfer dough to oiled surface and cut into three even pieces. Form each piece into an 8" round pizza crust using your hands and transfer to baking pans lined with cornmeal.
• Spread 1/3 pizza sauce on each pizza leaving a 1/2" border of dough all the way around. Add plenty of mozzarella cheese and any of your favorite toppings; this is where it gets really fun! (See list of toppings above for supreme pizza or Greek Pizza).
• Bake pizzas at 415 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the crust is crisp and toppings are cooked. Cheese will be melted and turn golden in a few spots.
• (Tip for the Greek Pizza: once the toppings are on, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. After the pizza comes out of the oven, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. It's so good!)

INDIVIDUAL CRISPY "LOADED" PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. Stir the water and molasses together in a large bowl until the molasses is dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, and let stand in a warm place until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• 2. Stir the salt into the yeast mixture; then stir in the 1 3/4 cups flour until the dough starts to come together. Scrape this rough dough out onto a work surface that has been sprinkled lightly with flour. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pulls back when you stretch it, about 5 minutes. If necessary, add just enough flour as you knead to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the work surface. Make a neat round out of the dough and place it in a large bowl that has been sprayed with the olive oil spray. Cover the bowl loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough sit in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• 3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 6 equal wedges. Form each wedge into a tight ball by rolling it in the palm of your hand until the edges have rounded. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray. Arrange the dough balls a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• 4. With a rack in the center position, preheat the oven to 500°F or its highest setting. (Remove any other racks or position them below the center rack. This will make it easier to slide the pizzas onto the stone and remove them once they're cooked.) Place a pizza stone on the rack and let it heat for 20 minutes.
• Dust a wooden pizza peel with the cornmeal. If you don't have a pizza peel, dust a cookie sheet (Flat-no rims) with cornmeal. Lightly flour the work surface and roll one ball of the dough out with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Drape the circle of dough over both of your fists so the edges of the dough barely overhand your knuckles and gently pull the edges outward while rotating the crust. Keep stretching and rotating the dough gently until the dough is about 9 inches in diameter. Don't worry about a few small tears, they can be repaired once the dough is on the peel. Place the dough on the prepared peel. Prick the dough in about 8 places with a fork. Pinch together any little tears.
• SLide the dough onto the hot pizza stone in the oven, and bake until the dough is puffed and the underside is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the dough and flip it bottom (browned) side up on your work surface. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. When you've had some practice, you should be able to roll out and stretchi n one piece of dough while another is baking on the stone.
• Spread about 2 tablespoons of the marinara sauce onto each crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Scatter the basil over the sauce. Scatter the mushrooms, cooked sausage, and peperoncini evenly over the sauce. Mix the cheeses together in a bowl, and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the mixture over each pizza. One at a time, slide the pizzas back onto the pizza stone. Bake until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling and the crust is brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. If your pizza stone is large enough, you may be able to bake the topped pizzas two at a time.
• Cut the pizzas into wedges, if desired, and serve.

CREEPY MINI PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute.
• Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead** on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Divide dough into 8 portions; cover. (If using RapidRise Yeast, let dough rise at this point for 10 minutes.)
• Pat each portion of dough with floured hands into an 8-inch circle on a greased baking sheet. Form a rim by pinching the edge of the dough. Add a second crust to the same baking sheet.
• Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, dough will be just set and only lightly browned on the bottom. Remove crusts to a wire rack to cool. Continue with remaining pizza dough. (Works best to use several baking sheets.) May use crusts immediately or place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 1 month.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Spread each crust with pizza sauce. Top with desired toppings to make Halloween designs! Repeat with remaining pizzas. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned and bottom of crust is browned.

10-MINUTE NAAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Add sauce and cheese: Spread pizza sauce evenly over naan bread. Then sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese if you have on hand.
• Bake pizzas: Bake on the oven rack for 8-10 minutes - the crust and cheese should be golden brown.
• Slice and serve: Slice and serve with fresh basil, parmesan cheese, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes for heat if desired.

JAN'S LOADED PIZZA FRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Spread fries onto a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crispy, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Mix pizza sauce and oregano together in a bowl; pour over fries. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce mixture and top with pepperoni slices. Sprinkle parsley over sauce and pepperoni.
• Turn the oven to broil.
• Broil fries until cheese is browned and bubbling, 2 to 4 minutes.

PERSONALIZED INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Do not unroll dough. Cut roll of dough into 4 equal pieces; shape each piece into a ball. Roll or press each ball of dough into a 5-inch round making edges slightly thicker to form a rim. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet; brush each with oil.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Top each round with 1 of the variations below. Bake 10 to 13 minutes longer or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.