Pizza Marinara Aka Real Italian Pizza Food

PIZZA MARINARA

Steps:

• Place the dough in a large bowl, then cover it with a cloth and store it in a warm place for two hours.
• Once at least six hours have passed, take a ball of dough, place it on a lightly floured surface.
• Arrange the topping as follows; First, place the crushed, peeled tomatoes in the center of the pizza, then, with a spoon, spread them all over, except the rim, in a spiraling fashion.
• Place the pizza on a pizza peel and then slide it into a wood-fired oven with a quick wrist motion, so the topping stays in place.
• The finished pizza should have a thick tomato sauce, with garlic and oregano that have developed an aroma and have browned but are not burnt.
• Dissolve salt in water, then add the yeast to the water and mix to help it melt. Immediately add a portion of the flour to the water and mix. Add the remaining flour in batches, gauging how much flour is needed.
• After two hours have passed, shape the dough into balls weighing either 200 or 280 grams (7-10 oz), depending on the size of the pizza you're making - a 22-24cm (8.5-9.5-inch) or a 28-35cm (11-13.5-inch) one.
• Pressing on the ball of dough with the thumbs of your fingers, starting from the center and going towards the edges, shape into a disc, turning the dough several times in the process.
• Next, scatter the slices of garlic evenly across the surface, followed by a sprinkling of oregano, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, which should be applied in a circular motion, starting from the center outwards.
• Bake for 60-90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at a temperature of about 485°C/905°F, checking the doneness by carefully lifting the edges of the pizza.
• Knead for a minimum of 15-20 minutes, but ideally, 30 minutes - the dough is of ideal consistency when it's sticking a bit to the hands and to the sides of a bowl you're mixing it in.
• Once you've shaped the balls, place them all on a plate and cover them with a damp cloth and let them prove for a minimum of six hours.
• As a result of this action, you should end up with a disc that has about a 1-2cm (1/2-inch) raised rim and a center that is approximately 0.3cm (1/8-inch) thick.
• Also, the pizza should be rotated as it bakes but kept in the same cooking area, so every part gets baked evenly.
• Shape it into a ball, then lightly coat with flour, to prevent losing moisture as it rises.

PHILADELPHIA STYLE VELVEETA PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare pizza crust in the pan or stone that you are using.
• Arrange slices of Velveeta to cover crust within 1/2 inch of edges.
• Drizzle sauce evenly over Velveeta.
• Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
• Bake at 450°F for approx 20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.
• Let sit for approx 10 minutes before slicing.

EASY ITALIAN PIZZA CALZONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In large skillet, brown and crumble sausage, pour off fat.
• Add 3/4 cup pasta sauce, mushrooms, green pepper and onion.
• Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, unroll crescent dough and separate into 8 rectangles. Firmly press perforations together and flatten slightly.
• In a small bowl mix egg and water, brush on dough edges.
• Stir cheese into meat mixture.
• Spoon equal amounts of meat mixture onto half of each rectangle to within 1/2 inch of edges. Fold dough over filling. Press to seal edges. Arrange on baking sheet; brush with egg mixture.
• Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Heat remaining pasta sauce; serve with calzones.

PAT'S DELICIOUS SEMI-HOMEMADE ITALIAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Pour the two packets of pizza dough mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the water and mix with a fork until a ball forms. Ignore the package directions and do the following: cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place for 15 minutes, allowing the dough to rise a bit.
• Preheat the oven to 450-degrees F.
• After the dough his risen, spray a 16-inch (or 18-inch) pizza pan with the cooking spray (I use an olive oil spray) and place the dough ball in the center. Wash your hands and rub the 1 teaspoon of olive oil on them -- work the pizza dough out toward the edges. TAKE YOUR TIME! When this is accomplished, place the pizza dough in the preheated oven for 8-9 minutes until there is some VERY SLIGHT BROWNING here and there on the dough. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 3-4 minutes so you can work the sauce on to it without burning your hands.
• Once you have the sauce on the pizza, sprinkle on the sliced olives and any other toppings you wish, (such as cooked sausage, banana peppers, etc., but NOT the pepperoni). Then, cover the pizza evenly with the cheeses. Cover the pizza with the pepperoni slices and sprinkle the basil all over the pizza.
• Return the pizza to the 450-degree F. oven, on the rack just below the center, for about 10 more minutes, until you just get some slight browning on the cheese. Remove from the oven and slice with a pizza cutter. Wait 2 minutes before plating up the pizza.
• NOTE: This makes a super covered dish if you get the pizza ready for the final baking and then do the final baking on-site. Cut it into 2-inch squares for this. I like to take 2 or 3 pizzas along for this as you'll see that it disappears much faster then the entree dish!

PIZZA MARINARA (AKA REAL ITALIAN PIZZA!)

Steps:

• Pour water into bowl.
• Sprinkle with yeast and leave for five minutes.
• Stir and add sugar, salt, and olive oil. Beat well.
• Stir in half of flour.
• Beat until smooth.
• Add as much of the rest of the flour as needed to make the dough just firm enough to manage.
• Knead for five minutes.
• Roll it into a ball and flatten.
• Sprinkle corn meal over pan and stretch dough over it. Make ridges at the edges.
• Let rise for fifteen minutes.
• Lightly brush or spray the dough with some oil.
• Add your choice of toppings. Heat for 20-30 minutes at 425°F.