Individual Heart Pizzas 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!)

GRILLED INDIVIDUAL HEART-SHAPED PIZZAS

Steps:

• Cut the pizza dough into 8 pieces, each about the size of a tennis ball.
• Stretch each piece into a circle, then shape into hearts by pushing in the top and pinching then pulling down on the bottom.
• Let dough sit for about 10 minutes to rest and rise.
• With the grill on medium-high (about 350-400 degrees), transfer crusts to the grill and cook until the crust puffs on top and gets grill marks on the bottom, about 3 minutes. If the dough sprouts any big bubbles, go ahead and pop them if you can.
• Transfer the crust to a cookie sheet or large platter, grilled side up.
• Spread the sauce on the pizza, add toppings, cover with cheese, and transfer back to the grill. Cook until pizza crust is cooked through, the toppings are hot, and the cheese is bubbly, about 3 - 4 minutes. If you have a barbecue with a lid, cooking them covered at this stage helps heat the toppings.
• Remove from the grill to a pizza peel or large baking sheet. Serve.

HEART'S DESIRE PIZZA

Steps:

• Cut eight 6-in.-square pieces of aluminum foil; place on baking sheets. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll each biscuit to a 5-in. square. Cut a 1-in. triangle from the center top and place on the center bottom, forming a heart. Press edges to seal. Transfer to foil squares. Spoon pizza sauce over dough to within 1/4 in. of edges. If desired, sprinkle with toppings. Top with cheeses. Bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

INDIVIDUAL HEART PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Lightly dust two baking sheets with cornmeal.
• On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into four equal pieces. Using your hands or a lightly floured rolling pin, stretch dough to form 8-inch rounds about 1/4 inch thick. If the dough begins to contract as you roll, let it rest for 10 minutes before rolling again.
• Transfer the dough rounds to the prepared pans. Using scissors, cut a V into one piece of dough to create the center notch of a heart shape. Stretch and pinch the opposite side to form the pointed end of the heart. Crimp the dough gently around the edge to form a border. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Divide pesto between dough, spreading in a thin even layer. Top with cheese, as desired, and sprinkle with parsley, salt, and pepper. Bake until crust is golden and cooked through, about 14 minutes.

INDIVIDUAL SAUSAGE, TOMATO, AND ARTICHOKE-HEART PIZZAS

Steps:

• Make the crust:
• In a food processor combine 1/2 cup of the flour and the yeast, with the motor running add the water, and turn the motor off. Add the oil, the sugar, the salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour, blend the mixture until it forms a ball, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 8 to 10 times, form it into a ball, and let it rest while making the sausage mixture.
• In a small heavy skillet cook the sausage over moderate heat, stirring, until it is cooked through, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a bowl, and discard all but 1 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet. In the fat cook the onion, the garlic, the orégano, the basil, and salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is soft and transfer the onion mixture to the bowl.
• Halve the dough, form each half into a ball, and stretch each ball into 7-inch round, making the rounds slightly thicker around the edges. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet (preferably black steel, for a crisper crust), oiled and sprinkled lightly with the cornmeal, top the rounds evenly with the sausage mixture, the tomatoes, the artichoke hearts, the mozzarella, the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste, and bake the pizzas on the bottom rack of a preheated 500°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown.

HOW TO MAKE HEART-SHAPED PIZZAS

Steps:

• Grab a ball of pizza dough. Set it on your cookie sheet or pizza stone.
• Shape/flatten it into a circle. If your dough won't hold its shape, let it sit for 5 minutes then try again.
• Pinch and pull the bottom of the circle to form a point.
• Take a finger to the top middle and push down toward the center of the pizza. Then tweak and shape a bit here and there if you'd like.
• Top just as you would any pizza!
• Bake following your pizza crust instructions - my general rule is 450 degrees Fahrenheit and I start checking the pizza at about 5 minutes - usually it's about 8 minutes before the toppings are perfectly melty and the crust is golden. Serve.

PERSONAL PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare both packages of pizza dough according to directions. On a floured surface, knead dough several times; divide into six portions. Roll each into an 8-in. circle. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. , Spread pizza sauce over crusts to within 1/2 in. of edge. Top with beef, onion, green pepper, olives and cheese. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.