Pats Family Pizzeria Recipes

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!

JIM LAHEY'S NO-KNEAD PIZZA MARGHERITA

Steps:

• To make dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and stir until blended (the dough will be very sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 12 to 24 hours in a warm spot, about 70 degrees.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the top with flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Shape the dough into 3 or 4 balls, depending on how thick you want the crust. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough with it. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
• To make sauce: Blanch tomato for 5 seconds in boiling water and quickly remove. Allow to cool to the touch. Peel the skin with your hands and quarter the tomato. Remove the jelly and seeds, and reserve in a strainer or fine sieve. Strain the jelly to remove seeds, and combine resulting liquid in a bowl with the flesh of the tomatoes. Proceed to crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add salt and olive oil and stir.
• To make pizza: Place pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat on high broil. Stretch or toss the dough into a disk approximately 10 inches in diameter. Pull rack out of oven and place the dough on top of the preheated pizza stone. Drizzle 5 generous tablespoons of sauce over the dough, and spread evenly. Try to keep the sauce about ½ inch away from the perimeter of the dough. Break apart or slice the buffalo mozzarella and arrange over the dough. Return rack and pizza stone to the middle of the oven and broil for approximately 6 minutes. Remove and top with basil, olive oil, and salt.

FAMILY PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk 1 1/4 cups warm water (95 degrees), yeast and sugar together in a bowl. Let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until yeast is foamy.
• In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add yeast mixture and oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until mixture is too stiff to stir, then mix with your hands until dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding only as much flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth, elastic and only slightly sticky. Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or overnight, until doubled in size.
• Punch down dough and turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Divide into 8 pieces (about 4 ounces each) and shape each one into a ball. Cover with a tea towel and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Heat griddle pan over medium heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Dust a large work surface with a mixture of flour and semolina. Pick up one of the dough balls and begin to pull and stretch dough into a circle, then lay on work surface and press into a thin round (about 8 inches), adding only enough flour and semolina to keep dough from sticking. Using one hand as a guide, slope a slightly thicker rim all around dough circle. Work quickly, and be careful not to overwork dough; if it resists or shrinks back, let it rest briefly before proceeding. (If you prefer, you can roll out dough with a rolling pin; lightly flour work surface and pin.) For larger pizzas, use 2 dough balls.
• Carefully place dough round on griddle pan and cook until barely tan on first side and browned in a few spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip crust over and cook until second side is completely dry, about 1 minute.
• Transfer crust to a wire rack or a baking sheet, brushing off any excess flour, and allow to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. (Parbaked crusts can be refrigerated overnight or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2 weeks.
• Top and broil each pizza: Heat broiler and place a pizza stone or baking sheet inside to heat. Spread a very light coating of pesto evenly on crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter mozzarella over pesto. (Don't put toppings on crust until ready to broil, to avoid sogginess.)
• Place pizzas on hot stone or pan; slide under broiler, about 4 inches from heat source; and broil for 7 or 8 minutes (or as long as needed), until toppings are heated or cooked through, or both, and crust is charred and blistered in spots. Watch closely so that ingredients don't burn, and move pizza around or lower broiler rack if necessary. (Depending on topping, bottom of crust may start to become soggy; you can slip pizza back onto griddle momentarily to recrisp.) Cut into slices and serve hot.