New Pizza Pan!

I try to keep my kitchen purchases to a minimum, but recently I splurged and bought a 16-inch cast iron pizza baking pan from Crate and Barrel. To go with it, I also bought a 16-inch crisping sheet, which has holes in it for crisping up leftover pizza and breads in the oven.

I reasoned that this pan could be preheated in the oven, much like a baking stone but without all the bother or potential for third-degree burns. That’s exactly how it works, and it makes great pizza. It’s definitely an improvement over the warped, stained cookie sheet I had been using.

I used Mark Bittman’s excellent pizza dough recipe for the crust. The only snag is that the dough makes two 12-inch pizzas and the pan is 16 inches, so some experimentation will be called for to roll out the perfect amount of dough. Leftover dough can be frozen and used to make breadsticks or rolls.

The inaugural pizza was a Pizza Margherita, which is a very simple, summery pizza that can be made on any kind of pan and even using store-bought dough. Here’s the recipe.

Pizza Margherita

Yields: 1 16-inch pizza
Time to make: ~20 minutes

• unbaked pizza dough for a 16-inch pizza (see recipe)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 fresh tomato, sliced thinly
• 6 oz. whole-milk mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly (not the kind packed in liquid)
• several basil leaves
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Roll out the pizza dough to fit your pizza pan — the thinner, the better. If using a baking stone or cast-iron pan, preheat it in a 425-degree oven while preparing the pizza.

Drain the canned tomatoes. Using a blender, puree the tomatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper until smooth. Spread the sauce out on the pizza dough.

Arrange the sliced tomatoes, slices of cheese and basil on top of the pizza. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired. Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated pan or stone, if using. Bake 12-15 minutes, until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly.

Here are my husband’s photos of the results.

Light Dinner: Calzone and Sauteed Kale

Calzone with marinara tomato sauce and kale with breadcrumbs.

If you have pizza dough on hand, it’s a snap to get an easy meal like this on the table on a weeknight. I recently found out how easy it is to make pizza dough and freeze it (here’s the recipe). I think frozen pizza dough works better for making calzones, because you don’t have to stress as much about rolling it out thinly or making a perfect circle (not that I stress about those things anyway).

Just remember to take the dough out of the freezer and let it defrost in the fridge overnight. I like to let it sit on the counter for at least an hour so that it will come to room temperature before working with it.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On an oiled baking sheet, pat and stretch the dough out into an approximate circle. I think it’s easier to make one calzone for 2 or 3 people, but if you want to try making individual smaller ones, go for it.

Once the dough is stretched out to a good size, cover one-half of it with your chosen filling ingredients. For this calzone, I used chopped sun-dried tomatoes, red onion and shredded mozzarella. No sauce is necessary. I think it’s better to keep a light hand with the filling, because too many ingredients have a tendency to explode out of the calzone during baking.

Brush a little water around the edges of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling and crimp the edges together. Use a knife to make five slashes in the top to let the steam escape during cooking. Sprinkle the calzone with coarse salt and slide it into the oven. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden-brown.

While it’s cooking, you can make a simple marinara dipping sauce. Heat up a can of tomato sauce over medium-low and add some spices, such as garlic, oregano and hot red pepper flakes. Just let that bubble while the calzone bakes and serve it alongside in a small bowl.

I think sauteed kale makes a nice alternative to salad, especially in the cooler months. You can substitute other greens, such as chard or spinach, of course. I steamed the kale first, then sauteed it with some garlic and breadcrumbs. Here’s the recipe.

Kale with Garlic and Breadcrumbs

Time to make: ~20 minutes
Yields: 2-3 servings

• 1 bunch kale or other greens
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lg. clove garlic, minced
• Hot red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs, preferably homemade
• 2 tsp. capers
• Juice of ½ lemon

Wash the greens. Remove the stems and roughly tear the leaves. Steam with a small amount of water in a covered pan until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove to a colander and let drain. (This step can be done ahead.)

Heat the garlic in the olive oil over medium until it starts to sizzle. Add the hot red pepper flakes and breadcrumbs, and stir until they turn brown. Add the capers and greens, and saute until the greens are warmed and coated with the breadcrumbs and garlic, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and squeeze the lemon juice over.

Homemade Pizza Is Easy — Really

Homemade Three-Cheese Pizza with Fresh Basil

Dear Mark Bittman, I have to apologize for having doubted you and not believing that it really is as easy as you say it is to make your own pizza dough. For a long time I have resisted because I believed that making all doughs is difficult. But I finally broke down and tried your pizza dough recipe, and not only was it incredibly easy, but it was also the most delicious pizza I have ever made. (My husband agrees.) It was better by far than any store-bought pizza dough, even the frozen unbaked dough from the local co-op. I will never go back to store-bought now.

I am sure Mark Bittman won’t mind if I reprint his pizza dough recipe from The Minimalist Cooks Dinner because I am also going to urge you to go out and buy that book or any one of his other excellent books. Bittman really is an advocate for simple, delicious home cooking, and his recipes are all very accessible and adaptable. I did adapt the recipe just slightly to use RapidRise yeast.

Easy Food Processor Pizza Dough

Yields: enough dough to make 2 10-inch pizzas
Time to make: ~1 hour 30 minutes, mostly rising time

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed
• 1 package or 2 tsp. RapidRise highly active yeast or instant yeast
• 2 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 cup hot (not boiling) water
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• food processor

Combine the flour, yeast and salt in the food processor. With the metal blade inserted [updated], turn the machine on and pour the water and the oil in through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, until the dough forms a slightly sticky ball. Add up to ¼ cup more water, a little at a time, if needed.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1-2 hours. (You can also let it rise more slowly in the refrigerator, 6-8 hours.)

Form the dough into a ball and divide into 2 pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball. If you are not using the dough right away, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it; it can be defrosted in a covered bowl or in the refrigerator. Place on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with a little flour and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rest until puffed slighly, about 20 minutes. Proceed with making pizza (see below).

How you want to top your pizza is up to you. I think homemade pizza tastes better if you use a light hand with the sauce and toppings, because then the crust doesn’t get too soggy. (You can also skip the sauce altogether and make a “white” pizza.) I have been experimenting with sauces beyond just traditional pizza sauce, such as pesto and even barbecue sauce. As for toppings, I like to choose one or two cooked vegetables, some fresh herbs and a mixture of shredded cheeses. But it is your pizza, and you should put whatever you like on it.

Here is how to finish cooking the pizza:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Oil a baking sheet or pizza sheet.
3. Roll out the dough on the baking sheet. I have found that the easiest way to do this is by stretching and patting it with my hands, and crimping the ends to make a crust. I don’t worry too much about it being a perfect square or circle. If the dough starts to tear, let it rest for a few minutes before stretching again.
4. Add the toppings (except for fresh herbs).
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the crust browns. If using fresh herbs, add them only for the last couple of minutes of baking time.

Of course, now that you have homemade pizza dough, you can use it for much more than just pizza. I plan to try making calzones, breadsticks, foccacia and even rolls. With dough this easy to make, there’s no reason not to always have a little on hand.

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