Individual Pizza 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!)

PERSONALIZED INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Do not unroll dough. Cut roll of dough into 4 equal pieces; shape each piece into a ball. Roll or press each ball of dough into a 5-inch round making edges slightly thicker to form a rim. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet; brush each with oil.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Top each round with 1 of the variations below. Bake 10 to 13 minutes longer or until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

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.

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.

INDIVIDUAL PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook ground beef in a skillet.
• Separate biscuits and put them on a sheet of waxed paper or foil.
• Flatten each biscuit with palm of your hand until thin but not too thin.
• Place each one on a cookie sheet or pizza pan.
• Spread approximately 1 tsp tomato sauce on each"pizza" evenly, depending how saucy you want them.
• Put a spoonful of hamburger on each pizza.
• Spread evenly.
• Sprinkle each pizza with cheese, depending on how cheesy you want them.
• Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
• Cool for a few minutes before serving.

INDIVIDUAL PIZZA WITH ARUGULA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Using your hands, stretch each piece into a 5-inch disk.
• Brush two rimless baking sheets with oil. Place disks of dough on baking sheets; brush dough lightly with oil. Using your hands, crush tomatoes in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread tomatoes on dough; sprinkle with red-pepper flakes. Bake, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until crusts are golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Toss arugula with cheese; divide among pizzas. Drizzle with vinegar and oil.