Party Pizza Base Recipes

PARTY PIZZAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef and sausage until no longer pink; drain. Add the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and seasonings; stir until cheese is melted. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons hot mixture on each bread slice. Place on ungreased baking sheets., Freeze pizzas or bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. , To use frozen pizzas: Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

PARTY PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Brown the ground beef and sausage together in a large skillet and drain well.
• Cut the processed cheese into small cubes and add to the meat mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese melts. Stir in hot pepper sauce to taste. Spread a layer of the meat and cheese mixture on slices of party rye bread. Arrange the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm.

MINI TOP-YOUR-OWN PIZZAS

Steps:

• Put the flour in a large bowl. Add a little salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other side. Sprinkle over the sugar, together with a spoon, and add the oil and 190ml warm water. Combine with a spoon until all the flour comes away from the sides of the bowl, then tip onto a floured surface. Knead for 5-10 mins or until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a clean bowl, add the dough, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 1 hr.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour the passata into a saucepan, add the basil and mixed herbs, then season and bring to the boil over a low heat. Simmer gently for 5 mins, then set aside to cool. Chop the toppings.
• Once the dough has risen, tip it out, knock out the air and divide into 6 equal parts. Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9 and place 2 large baking sheets in the oven.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle around 15cm in diameter. Pick up the circle of dough and toss about a metre up, spinning it in the air. Catch it on the back of your hand, so your fingers don't poke through the dough. Do this at least 3 times to achieve a thin central base and a thicker outside crust. Alternatively, you could carry on rolling, but it's not as much fun!
• Lay the bases onto baking parchment (2 bases on 1 piece of parchment) and carefully slide each pair inside a plastic bag 'tent' for 15 mins to prove again.
• After the second rise, spread the sauce over the bases and add the and mozzarella. Take the baking sheets out the oven and quickly slide the pizzas (still on their baking parchment) on top. You can cook 2-3 pizzas per tray. Return to the oven and bake for 12 mins. Take out, slice and eat.

MAKE YOUR OWN MINI PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil. Place pizza dough on a well-floured surface, press dough firmly with your fingers to shape, and stretch gently into a 12" x 8" rectangle.
• With a round cutter, cut dough into 18-20 rounds; place rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Top each with pizza sauce, cheese, and your desired toppings.
• Bake mini pizzas for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
• Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl; set aside for 5 minutes.
• Mix together the flour, salt, sugar and olive oil in a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Optionally, add dried herbs like basil, oregano or rosemary. Stir in the yeast water. Knead with the dough hook or by hand on a well floured surface for about 5 minutes. If using the stand mixer, once finished kneading, remove dough from bowl and shape into a large ball by hand.
• Oil two bowls lightly with olive oil and set aside. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll into balls. Place each ball into the oiled bowls, seam side down, and coat the tops with a little olive oil. Top each bowl with plastic wrap or a clean, dry towel and place the dough in a warm place (I use an oven preheated to 250 degrees F, then turned off). Let rise 2 hours.
• Once risen, either use immediately by turning dough out onto a floured surface and shaping. Or, wrap dough in plastic wrap, then a plastic bag, and freeze or refrigerate to use later.

BASIC PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough, pile the flours and 1 level teaspoon of sea salt onto a clean surface and make a well in the centre.
• Add the yeast and sugar to 650ml lukewarm water, mix together and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well.
• Using a fork and a circular movement, slowly bring in the flour from the inner edge of the well and mix into the water. Continue to mix, bringing in all the flour - when the dough comes together and becomes too hard to mix with your fork, flour your hands and begin to pat it into a ball.
• Knead the dough by rolling it backwards and forwards, using your hands to stretch, pull and push the dough. Keep kneading for 10 minutes, or until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to to prove for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• For the sauce, peel and finely slice the garlic, then pick the basil leaves and finely chop the stalks.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on a medium-low heat, add the garlic and basil stalks, then cook gently for a couple of minutes, or until the garlic is lightly golden, then add most of the basil leaves, the tomatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Leave the sauce to tick away for around 20 minutes, or until smooth, breaking up the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon. When the time's up, taste, and season to perfection.
• To assemble the pizzas, divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in clingfilm and freeze for another day. With the remaining half, divide the dough into 4 equal balls.
• Flour each dough ball, then cover with clingfilm, and leave to rest for about 15 minutes - this will make them easier to roll it thinly.
• Dust a clean surface and the dough with a little flour or semolina, and roll it out into a rough circle, about ½cm thick.
• Tear off an appropriately sized piece of tin foil, rub it with olive oil, dust well with flour or semolina and place the pizza base on top. Continue doing the same with the remaining dough, dust with a little flour so you can pile them up. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge.
• When you're ready to cook them, preheat the oven to 250°C/500°F/gas 9.
• At this stage you can apply your topping: spread the tomato sauce over the base, spreading it out to the edges. Tear over the mozzarella and scatter with the remaining basil leaves. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
• If you can, cook the pizzas on a piece of granite in your conventional oven - if not, cook them one by one on pieces of tin foil directly on the bars of the oven shelf, towards the bottom of the oven (If you're going to cook your pizzas on the bars of the oven, make sure they're not too big - otherwise they'll be difficult to manoeuvre). Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the pizzas are golden and crispy.
• Here are some of my favourite topping ideas: Mozzarella, anchovies, chilli, capers and parsley Smoked pancetta, mozzarella, fresh chilli and tomatoes Egg, prosciutto, artichokes, olives, mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil Green and red grapes, rosemary, pine nuts and ricotta Potatoes, mozzarella, rosemary, thyme and tomatoes Slow-roasted shredded pork with thyme, Taleggio and lemon-dressed rocket

RYE BREAD PARTY PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a medium baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place ground beef and ground pork sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
• Place processed cheese food in a large, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes, or until processed cheese food is melted.
• Into the bowl with melted processed cheese food, mix Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. When thoroughly blended, mix in beef and pork.
• Place approximately 2 tablespoons of the mixture on each slice of cocktail rye bread.
• Arrange cocktail rye bread slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp.

SIMPLE PIZZA BASE

Steps:

• Put the flour, yeast and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl. Stir in 500ml of slightly warm water and the oil. You should end up with a wettish dough that is rough and lumpy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with a tea towel and if your kitchen is cool keep it out, but if it's warm put it in the bottom of the fridge. Leave dough to rise for at least 6 hrs or until doubled in size.
• When ready to cook, bring the dough to room temperature. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Dust 2-4 baking sheets with semolina. Dust the work surface with flour, then divide the dough into 2 or 4 pieces. Knead each piece on the floured surface, incorporating enough flour to stop the dough being sticky.
• Roll each piece into a pizza shape and lift onto baking sheets. Leave to rise for 10 mins while you sort toppings (see ideas, below). Top the bases with your chosen ingredients, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake following the timings for each topping (18 mins for a large pizza or 12 mins for an individual) or until the crust is crisp and the topping is bubbling.

EASY AND AWESOME PIZZA BASE RECIPE

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and leave for 5 minutes.
• While waiting, sift the flour into your mixing bowl. Add the salt & oil.
• Once a foam has formed on the yeasty water pour it in and start mixing. Add more water as required (varies depending on climate, humidity etc.) until the dough feels like a young woman's breast. I was taught this by a baker many years ago and while it sounds rude, it really is the easiest way to describe how a good dough should feel. Now clean your mixing bowl.
• This next part, while not vital, does make a noticeable difference. Rub oil around the surface of the dough, put it in your clean mixing bowl and stick it in the fridge. Leave it there for as long as possible (24 hours is best but 6 hours is ok). If you don't have time for the fridge don't stress - just skip it and move on.
• If you used the fridge you will have noticed your dough rose, albeit slowly. Take your dough out of the fridge and let it rise some more.
• Once risen pound the crap out of it to flatten it again but don't knead it too much. Cut your dough into 3 or 4 balls, roll them flat, fold them up and roll them again. This creates air pockets which expand giving your base the authentic 5 star Italian wood-fired look and feel in the comfort of your own home. If the dough begins to feel tough while you're working it, let it rest for 5 minutes. It's just the gluten tightening up and resting it relaxes it.
• Top your bases and cook for 10 minutes or so. If you make thicker bases it often pays to partly cook the base for 5 min then top and bake again.
• Enjoy!

LOW CALORIE PEPPERONI PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 500F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick mat.
• Mix the flour and Greek yogurt together to form a dough and transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper or nonstick surface. (You can mix by hand or in a food processor.)
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 12x8).
• Brush the crust with olive oil and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Reduce the heat to 350F after removing the pizza crust.
• Mix the sauces together and coat the crust in sauce.
• Add a layer of mozzarella, half the parmesan, the pepperoni, and any other toppings you'd like. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top.
• Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and the pepperoni begins to crisp.
• Cut into 8 slices and enjoy!

PARTY SIZED PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir to combine. Add the water and olive oil and stir until a raggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
• Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading. Alternatively: attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes.
• After the kneading is finished, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Using floured hands, gently shape each half into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself. Set each boule on a floured surface and dab the dough with a bit of olive oil to keep it moist. Cover all boules with a damp towel and allow them to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• The dough can be used immediately. However for the BEST flavor, transfer the dough to separate sealed containers, large enough for the dough to double in size again, and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. (Alex and I don't always do this, but we try when possible because it makes for a noticeably nutty, unique flavor that truly is the best homemade pizza dough you've ever had.)
• The day of serving, remove the dough from the containers, place it on a lightly floured surface covered with a towel, and allow it to come to room temperature before stretching, 30 to 45 minutes.
• To stretch the dough, place it on a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a circle, flipping several times and adding a pinch of flour if it is too sticky. Once you have about an 8-inch circle, pick up the dough and gently drape it over the knuckles on both of your hands. Slowly rotate it around, allowing gravity to stretch it into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Do not overwork or fold the dough. If the dough starts to resist stretching, put it down and allow it to rest for a few minutes, at which point it will stretch more easily.
• We bake our pizzas at 500F and use a pizza peel to transfer it to a preheated pizza stone in the oven: the bake time is around 5 to 7 minutes. See our pizza recipe posts for baking instructions.

MINI PIZZA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking oil spray.
• Whisk flour and baking powder in a small bowl to combine.
• Add milk, egg, salt, herbs, and seasonings to the flour mixture, and whisk until combined. Stir in mozzarella and pepperoni until combined.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Stir mixture again and pour into muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the top of each cup.
• Bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Warm sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat or serve cold with the bites for dipping.