The Lindahl's Basic Pizza Recipe

Makes two 16 inch basic cheese pizzas.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 package or 2 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast
• 6 cups of bread flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
• 2 cups water

Sauce

• 1 can tomato puree (10 ¾ ounces)
• ¼ can tomato paste (2 ounces)
• ¼ teaspoon basil
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon granulated or powder garlic
• ¼ teaspoon granulated or powder onion
• 3 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt

Toppings

• 2 teaspoons dry basil (optional)
• 1 1/2 pounds Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Making the Dough

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water. The temperature of the water is VERY important. If it is too cold, the dough will take a very long time to rise. If it is too hot, the yeast will be killed and the dough will never rise. A good technique is to microwave water from the refrigerator. By trial and error, you can figure out the best microwave time to get the perfect temperature. Using water from the refrigerator ensures that the starting temperature is the same all year round..
2. (Optional) Add 2 tablespoons of sugar. This will help the yeast rise a little faster. Also, some people like their dough a little sweeter.
3. Stir in 2 cups of flour.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and a small towel. Place in a warm area (we like to put it on top of a warm toaster oven when the room temperature is cool). Let rise for about 1/2 hour until the dough has risen to twice the starting size.
5. Stir in 1 more cup of warm water.
6. Mix in two more cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt.
7. Using a food processor or mixer equipped with a dough blade or hook, knead the dough with 1 more cup of flour until it becomes rubbery but not tough. Consult your appliance's manual for further guidance on just the right amount of kneading.
8. On a floured surface (use the remaining flour), briefly knead the dough into a ball.
9. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl.
10. Roll the ball of dough in bowl with the olive oil until completely covered. Wipe away the excess olive oil with a paper towel.
11. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a small towel. Place in a warm area to rise for about 2 hours until it has doubled in size. If you don't need it for several more hours after that, punch it down but don't punch it down more than once. You can refrigerate the dough after punching it down to save it for a couple of days.

Making the Sauce

1. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Taste and adjust as you like.

Making the Pizza Pie

1. Heat up the oven to 500° F. If the oven isn't hot enough, the crust won't brown. A pizza stone is helpful to keep an even heat on the pizza.
2. Take half the dough and roll it out to the shape of your pizza pan. If you want to show off, toss the dough in the air a few times. Catch it on the back of your hands to prevent tearing.
3. Lightly coat the pizza pan with olive oil. A spray can of olive oil is very useful for this step.
4. Place the dough on the pizza pan.
5. (Optional) Brush olive oil on the dough to get crisper edges and a little more flavor.
6. (Optional) Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of basil on the dough.
7. Spread out 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the pizza sauce on the pizza.
8. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly around the pizza.
9. Put in the oven for approximately 8 to 12 minutes until the crust is brown and the cheese bubbly. If the bottom isn't done, leave it in for another minute or two.

Voilà...You have an excellent pizza!

Variations

Once you know how to make the basic pizza, you can add or change ingredients endlessly. There isn't too much you can do to ruin it (except adding an ingredient you don't like). Concocting your own variations can be one of life's great joys. Here are some of my favorites:

More Cheese - Replace some of the mozzarella with other cheeses such as provolone, parmesan, romano, ricotta, goat's cheese, brie or monterey jack.

Pepperoni - The classic pepperoni pizza simply adds pepperoni to the basic recipe. We like to use a lower fat or sandwich pepperoni because it isn't too oily. For the larger sandwich pepperoni, cut them into quarters so they don't roll up and get burned edges in the oven.

Vegetarian - Add your favorite vegetables. We (Mary Anne and John...not the kids) like onions, green peppers, mushrooms, olives, sliced tomato (remove the skin before slicing by dipping in boiling water), zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli (blanch broccoli by placing boiling water for 1 minute before using).