California Pizza Food

GRILLED CALIFORNIA PIZZAS

Steps:

• For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the bowl.
• When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
• If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. (You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.)
• Light your grill and wait until it's hot.
• Place the pizzas directly onto the grill and cook on 1 side for 1 minute. Turn the pizzas over and brush with olive oil or garlic oil.
• Top the pizzas with any toppings you wish, piling them high. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Put the lid on your grill and cook for 5 minutes more, until the crust is crisp and the toppings are cooked.

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN THAI CHICKEN PIZZA

Steps:

• Combine sauce ingredients in a small pan over medium heat.
• Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently for one minute.
• Divide into 2 portions for use on chicken and pizza; set aside.
• To make Thai chicken: Cook the chicken in olive oil over med-high heat, stirring, until just cooked; 5 to 6 minutes do not overcook.
• Set aside in refrigerator until chilled through.
• Once chilled, coat the chicken with 1/4 cup sauce.
• Set aside in refrigerator.
• To make the pizza: Use a large spoon to spread 1/4 cup sauce evenly over pizza dough within the rim.
• Cover sauce with 3/4 cup cheese.
• Distribute half the chicken pieces over the cheese followed by half the green onions, bean sprouts, and carrots, respectively.
• Sprinkle an additional 1/4cup cheese over the toppings and top the pizza with 1 TBSP chopped peanuts.
• Transfer the pizza to oven; bake until crisp and golden and the cheese is bubbly, 9 to 10 minute.
• When cooked through, remove pizza from oven.
• Sprinkle 1TBSP chopped cilantro over the hot cheesy surface.
• Repeat with remaining ingredients for a second pizza.

CALIFORNIA PIZZA RECIPE

Steps:

• Add 3/4 cup water and 1 Tbsp of dry yeast in the bread maker and let it stand for a 3-5 minutes.
• Next, add 1/2 Tbsp of honey, 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cups + 2 Tbsp of flour, 3/4 tsp of salt in the bread-maker in the order they are listed and select the dough setting.*
• Mine takes about an hour. The dough will be sticky and it will be easy to work with once it's oiled.
• Drizzle another 2 Tbsp oil onto a large baking sheet. Transfer the dough onto the oiled baking sheet and turn it a couple times to make sure the dough is covered in oil.
• Roll the dough out in the cookie sheet and spread on the pizza sauce.
• Spread on the cheese, ham, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and onions.
• Bake at 415˚F for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is crisp and toppings are cooked.

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the water and let it proof for 5 to 10 minutes. The yeast should have a little island of fizz/bubbles before you start. (if you're using instant yeast dissolve it in the water and skip the proof).
• In a separate bowl mix all of the dry ingredients and create a little well in the middle. Dump your yeast mixture and the olive oil into the well and stir with either your fingers or a wooden spoon.
• Once a lumpy kind of dough forms lightly oil your hands and start to knead the ball. Knead it for at least 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth but slightly tacky.
• Lightly coat the ball in olive oil and place in an airtight container, allow to rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• You can use the dough at this point, but for a finer texture and a nice, mellow sort of tang do the following: Deflate the dough, bunch it back up into a ball, put it back into the container, and stow it in your refrigerator overnight.
• About 2 hours before you're going to make your pizza remove the dough from the refrigerator, deflate again, and split into 2 equal portions. Roll both portions into balls, sealing any cracks as tightly as possible. Place the new dough balls on opposite sides of a shallow dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let them sit at room temperature for the aforementioned 2 hours (they'll be much easier to shape).
• After this just heat your pizza stone (or failing that, the floor of your oven with both racks taken out) to 500 degrees F, roll out your dough balls, top them, and slide them into the oven using a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel (or failing that, anything smooth and thin enough to manuever, like a cutting board).
• Your pizzas will cook very quickly, so it's easier to just eyeball their progress than try to time them.

FAMOUS CALIFORNIA PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine yeast, honey, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl with a whisk. Let stand to dissolve, about 10 minutes.
• Add salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and 1 cup flour to the mixture and stir until a batter forms. Add another 1 cup flour; stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup more flour and combine.
• Turn dough out onto a surface dusted with 1/4 cup flour. Knead until a smooth, fairly firm, slightly sticky dough is achieved, adding more flour as needed.
• Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and pat down with your hand. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Stretch and fold each piece down and under, tucking as you go, to form pizza dough rounds.
• Cover with a towel and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal.
• Transfer dough rounds to a lightly floured board and press each piece out to desired thickness, starting in the center, until 8 to 10 inches wide. Form a crust shape around the outer edges with your fingertips.
• Transfer one round of pizza dough to the prepared baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Top with any sauce and toppings you like.
• Bake in the lower rack of the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Move to the center of the oven and continue to bake until golden, about 10 minutes more. Repeat to bake remaining pizzas.