Pizza (Homemade from scratch)

In early 70s, we had some American families in our residential campus. So, we were exposed to baking cakes and pizza etc. As there were no super markets, most of the ingredients were not easily available locally. We never heard of pizza bases, pizza cheese or pizza sauce in any shop!! We had to make the crust (base), and sauce at home! Of course, thanks to our American friends, who shared some of the ingredients with us, we could experiment many recipes. I may say, quite a few of our friends were introduced to pizza and eggplant parmesan in our house.

Now, even though we can get hot pizza delivered at home or make pizza at home using the pizza base and pizza sauce bought in the super market, homemade pizza has its own charm and taste!!

So look for yourselves  whether it is worth to make pizza from scratch!

Dough just after it is kneaded:

Dough after about an hour:

Dough just before it is rolled:

Rolled pizza:

Pizza after the sauce and toppings and cheese are spread:

Ingredients:

For yeast mixture:

•      1 1/2 tsp yeast
•      1 tsp sugar
•      1/2 cup  lukewarm milk      
•      1/2 cup  lukewarm water      

For the crust:

•      3 cups flour
•      2 tbsp. ghee or oil
•      1 tsp sugar
•      1/2 tsp salt
•      2 or 3 tsp oil for kneading
•      2 tsp oregano

For topping:

•      2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
•      1 or 2 capsicum
•      1 or 2 onion
•      1 or 2 tomato
•      A few mushrooms
•      Some olives
•      Any other toppings of your choice ( non veg etc)
•      1 cup tomato sauce(posted earlier)

Directions:

1.      To lukewarm milk diluted with water, add sugar and yeast.
2.      Mix and let it sit for 15 minutes.
3.      Yeast starts bubbling up by this time.
4.      To the flour, add salt, sugar and ghee.
5.      Add some of the activated yeast mixture to the flour.
6.      Mix it well.
7.      Keep adding the fluid mixture and keep mixing the flour.
8.      The dough should be soft and wet to touch and not stiff. Only then you get a soft pizza crust.
9.      If the milk mixture is not sufficient to get pliable dough, you may add some water.
10.      Add oil and knead the dough well for 10 to 15 minutes.
11.      Cover with wet cloth and keep in a warm place (27 to 35 degrees C or 80 to 95 degrees F).
12.      In about an hour, the dough doubles in volume.
13.      Press the dough and let it rise again.
14.      Cut the capsicum, onion, tomato and olives into thin rings.
15.      Marinate them in a little salt, pepper and oil for about half an hour. Or
16.      Dice them into small pieces and sauté them in a pan.
17.      Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (400 degrees F).
18.      Grease and dust the surface of a pizza pan or oven safe plate.
19.      Dust the surface and roll half the dough into a round disc.
20.      Roll the pizza disc into thickness of your choice (thin crust or thick crust).
21.     You can roll it to a quarter inch thick round for good results.
22.     You have to roll it from center to the edge of the disc.
23.     Spread the rolled pizza carefully onto the greased pan.
24.     Spread 2 or 3 tbsp. of sauce on the crust uniformly.   
25.     Spread the vegetable toppings on the sauce.
26.     Sprinkle grated cheese on the toppings.
27.     Sprinkle oregano on the cheese.
28.     Place the pizza plate in the oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.
29.     Check the top of the pizza to see whether the cheese has melted.
30.     When the cheese is melted and the crust starts browning, the pizza is ready.

Note: Temperature and time control are dependent on the oven. Please check the pizza to decide how long you have to bake.