Flavorful Personal Pizzas

Pizza Dough Demystified
Take the guesswork out of your pizza prep with this simple savory dough recipe. Running short on time? You can always pick up pre-made dough from your local grocery store or pizzeria. Or, if you have a bread machine, you can use it as an alternative way to make this homemade dough.

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS
1 package dry yeast
¾ cup warm water
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 450°F, or 425°F if using a dark non-stick pan.
2. Spray a 12” pizza pan with non-stick spray, then dust with a thin layer of flour.

   Tip: For easy cleanup, cut out a 10” round piece of parchment paper and place it in the center of the pan after spraying but before dusting the pan with flour.

3. Fill a medium-sized bowl with ¾ cup warm water, then stir in yeast packet and allow to soak for 5 minutes.
4. In a large separate mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the liquid yeast mixture to the dry ingredients, kneading for 2-3 minutes.

   Tip: Keep your hands clean by kneading this sticky dough with a hand or standing mixer with a dough hook attachment, if available. Whenever handling the dough with your hands, remember to dust your hands heavily first.

5. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm area for 15 minutes.
6. Dust your work area heavily with flour to avoid sticking, then turn out dough onto your surface. With a floured rolling pin or well-floured hands, roll out dough to fit your 12” pizza pan.
7. Place dough in oven and bake 12-15 minutes until lightly golden on edges.

Tip: After you’ve removed your finished dough from the oven, leave the heat on. You’ll simply top the crust with your ingredients and place the pizza back in the oven.

Gourmet Made Simple
Once you’ve baked your dough, it’s time to pile on the ingredients. From the sunny Mediterranean to a small bistro in France, take a cue from these fun flavor themes, adding and subtracting items as your taste buds see fit.

Mediterranean Pizza

INGREDIENTS
Prepared 12” pizza crust
1 clove garlic or ½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup black olives
¼ cup banana peppers

Optional meat ideas: 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled, 3 pieces prosciutto (Italian ham), thinly sliced

1. In a mini prep or regular food processor, combine banana peppers, olives, garlic and olive oil, pulsing to your desired texture.
2. Spread your prepared pizza crust with a generous layer of the pesto mixture, then top with tomatoes and feta cheese.
3. Place pizza back in oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until crust becomes golden brown.

Tip: Give this pizza a unique twist by using additional ingredients to create a refreshing Mediterranean salad. Simply top your slice of pizza with a layer of fresh baby spinach, then drizzle it with balsamic vinaigrette.

Vegetarian Bistro Pizza

INGREDIENTS
Prepared 12” pizza crust
4-6 ounces pizza sauce (from can or jar)
4-6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled or sliced
3-5 roasted red peppers, sliced (from jar)
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 ½ cups dry spinach leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

1. With a spoon, spread an even layer of pizza sauce over entire crust.
2. Top with goat cheese, peppers and spinach, then drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place pizza back in oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned.

Baked Brie Pizza

INGREDIENTS
Prepared 12” pizza crust
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4-6 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
2 ripened pears, seeded and thinly sliced
½ cup chopped walnuts

Optional meat ideas: ¼ pound roasted chicken or turkey, shredded or sliced

1. Evenly brush the entire crust with melted butter or margarine.
2. Top with Brie, pear slices, walnuts and optional meats.
3. Place pizza back in oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Something Sweet
After the main course, keep the pizza party going with a heavenly Fruit & Cream Pizza Tart. The Sweetheart Pizza Dough—accented with orange juice and sugar—and fresh, colorful fruits put a surprising twist on pizza.

Sweetheart Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter
½ egg yolk
2 tablespoons orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder and sugar.
3. With clean hands or a food mixer, add butter, kneading ingredients together.
4. Add egg yolk and orange juice, continuing to knead until ingredients form a doughy consistency.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
6. With a floured rolling pin, roll out dough and shape into a 12” pan, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Tip: You can skip a few steps by using a store-bought sugar cookie dough, rolled and shaped to fit a 12” pan. To show some extra love to your sweetheart, use a culinary mold or your own free-hand talent to create a heart-shaped crust.

Fruit & Cream Pizza Tart

INGREDIENTS
Prepared sweetheart pizza dough (cooled)
4-6 ounces chocolate-hazelnut spread
4-6 ounces whipped cream topping
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
2 oranges, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 pears, skinned, seeded and thinly sliced
4 kiwis, skinned and thinly sliced

1. Create a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil, stirring constantly. Once sugar is dissolved, remove your simple syrup from the heat and let cool.
2. As syrup cools, spread a generous layer of chocolate-hazelnut spread, then a layer of whipped cream across entire pizza crust.
3. Once cooled, pour syrup into a medium-sized bowl. Lightly toss all fruit slices in the syrup, then arrange decoratively on crust.

Tip: To achieve an elegant and colorful presentation, begin at the center of your crust and arrange your fruit in a fanning, circular motion, working your way toward the edge of the crust.

If you love thinking about pizza in a surprising and contemporary way, look no further than our Lamb Flatbread recipe. Simple to make and packed with all kinds of flavor, this new take on pizza may quickly become a family favorite.

A Pizza Alternative: Lamb Flatbread—By Deborah Fewell

INGREDIENTS

Prepared 12” pizza crust
1 red onion, finely chopped
½ lb. lean ground lamb
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Small handful mint, roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. With a spoon, spread an even layer of yogurt over entire crust.
2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine onion, lamb, garlic, cumin and coriander, then sauté in a skillet for ten minutes.
3. Pour cooked lamb mixture over the pizza dough, then sprinkle with pine nuts and mint. Return to oven and bake for 5-7 minutes.

Tip: Thick sauces like yogurt serve as tasty glue for your pizza, perfect for ensuring all of your ingredients stay put. Get inspired to explore new sauces, like Alfredo or barbecue sauce, which will give way to new flavor combinations.

This Valentine’s Day, take to the kitchen to express just how much you care for your loved ones. By creating a pizza personalized with their favorite flavors and ingredients, you present a meal that’s sure to become a special memory.