Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe Pizza Dough (4 pizzas)
1 recipe Roasted Garlic Pizza Sauce or regular Pizza Sauce
1-1 ½ pounds salad greens
2 roasted red peppers, fresh or canned
6-8 Tb. Balsamic, Fresh Lemon or White Wine Vinaigrette
dried oregano
extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Once the dough has proofed for the second time and your oven with the baking stone is preheated to 450˚F, you are ready to bake the pizzas.
2. On a well floured surface begin to flatten the dough ball with your fingertips beginning from the inside out and moving in a circular fashion to create a thicker crust at the edges. You can now stretch the dough by dangling it from your fists or fingertips and moving in a circular fashion. This will take some practice. You can also try tossing the pizzas. Using your fists, again, cross your hands one over the other with the pizza dangling from your knuckles. With a quick tossing motion uncross your hands, in the process tossing the pizza into the air, spinning it and stretching it out in circular manner. Another option is to use a pin to roll out the pizzas. Pizza should be thin in the middle and thicker as you move out. Place the pizza on a floured peel (you can use a piece of cardboard if you don’t have a peel).
3. Lay out some fresh torn basil leaves onto the pizza. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on top of the basil. I don’t like to use too much because it makes the pizza soggy after it has cooked. Sprinkle some dried oregano and very light drizzle of olive oil.
4. Gently slide the pizza off of the peel and onto the stone. If your peel is floured adequately, the pizza should slide right off. Bake until the bottom of the crust is a golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Throw under the broiler for a minute to brown the top of the crust.
5. While the pizzas are baking, you can make the salad. Use any variety of greens or premixed prepackaged salads, but don’t use anything that has iceberg lettuce in it. Iceberg lettuce lends neither flavor nor nutritional value. Slice the red peppers into thin strips and add to the greens. Add salad dressing and mix well. Any of the vinaigrettes recommended above go well with this pizza, so mix an match.
6. When the pizzas are all baked, place a heaping mound of salad right on top of the sauce. Eat with your hands (preferably) or with a knife and fork.
