Let's start classy, PIZZA!

I have been thinking a lot about what recipe I should have posted first. Well, I though that the best way of starting an Italian-American food blog would have been with the recipe of the autentic Italian PIZZA! What is more Italian, but at the same time American, healthy and delicious? Well of course the answer is homemade pizza!

I made these three pizzas the past week end for my family and of course they were a success, because who doesn't like pizza?


Making pizza is VERY EASY! I know that make the perfect crust entirely from scratch can look scary, but trust me is not.


Here are the ingredients for 3 large pizzas for a big family like mine, although we were just five for dinner and we ate just one whole pizza. I usually love to have left over ( two pizzas in this case ahah ) because you can easily freeze them in slices and enjoy them whenever you don't feel like cooking by simply heat them in the microwave!


INGREDIENTS for three large pizzas:

       For the crust-

• 1200 grams of white flour
• 600 grams of water 
• 16 grams of fresh yeast
• one tbs of sugar
  
    Toppings-( I made a vegetarian pizza for a lighter version and two pizzas with cheese and tomato, for a classic margherita version)
• two large zucchini 
• artichokes hearts
• three fresh tomatoes
• tomato sauce "Angela Mia"
• fresh basil leaves
• mozzarella cheese

Start making the crust. The secret for a perfect crust is leave the dough rest for at least one hour after you make it.
Combine the yeast with some warm water and sugar, stir well.
Take the flour and slowly incorporate the remaining water and the yeast compost until you get a great dough consistence. You might have to add some water if the dough result too dry.
take the flour ball and put it in a container. Cover it with a clean towel and let it rise. It should take an hour for the dough to double his original size. At this time you can divide the dough in three even part and make some round pizza shaped crust.


Put the toppings and leave them rest for another 30-45 mins before baking them to get a better and softer crust consistence. Bake for 20-25 minutes. And ENJOY!

Tomato sauce "Angela Mia" is defenetely to try. I found it at Sam's and the taste is very mush like the homade italian tomato sauces.

I always add some fresh basil on my pizza. It defenetely completes it and create the perfect taste.

This time I used some delicious tomato souce, fresh tomatoes, cut zucchini and artichokes hearts to create a vegeterian ligh version of pizza. ( 170 calories a slice).   Looks and taste awesome!

 This is the original Italian pizza recipe called PIZZA MARGHERITA. Nothing more than tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and oregano. HEAVEN.