Simple Italian Pizza
Italian Pizza
Pizza is becoming as American as apple pie. I haven't been in any town where I didn't see Pizzerias. There are so many different ways of making it. So many different sauces. So many specialty pizzas. Veggie pizza, cheese pizza, meat pizza, Buffalo style chicken pizza, Taco pizza, you name it, they make it.
In this hub you will see my granddaughter and me making our own pizza. And, as usual, I made it so simple that anyone could make it. It may be easier to just pick up the phone and order a pizza, which I do a lot, but there are times when we just feel like making it ourselves. And it costs 1/4 of the price.
Also, this is one of those foods that children love to make. They get to design it themselves and decide what they want to put on it.
It's also nice for a young couple to do together. It's a nice date night. Movie at home and a home made pizza.
It's even good for those old fashion sleep over parties for your teenagers. Just supply the ingredients and let them have fun in the kitchen.
So give it a try, you won't be sorry and "Mangiare Buono"!
My Nona's Pizza
Now pizza is common, but back when I was a little girl in the 50's the only pizza we had was the one my nona (grandmother) made. It was always square in a pan that we now call a cake pan. She always made her own dough, own sauce and cheese that was imported from relatives she still had in Italy. That was all, no pepperoni or mushrooms or other toppings.
My earliest memories of pizza was "my nona's pizza". There was nothing like since then. She died at a ripe old age of 101 in 1995. She only ate things she made, her own pasta, vegetables and fruits and tomato sauce she canned herself, her own bread, cakes and pizza dough. She was only 4'9" tall and had a rolling pin that was almost as tall as she was and was made to fit her little hands just perfectly. She said she was making pasta since she was about 5 years old in Italy. They say "practice makes perfect", and I guess that's why her food was nearly perfect.
Photos of Pizza 2 Ways
Please Vote
Italian Traditional Pizza
- The Pizza Margherita may have set the standard, but there are numerous popular varieties of pizza made in Italy today.
- Pizza from Pizzeria is the cognized round shape, made to order and always cooked in a wood fired oven.
- Regional varieties are always worth trying such as Pizza Marinara.
- A traditional Neapolitan pizza that has oregano, anchovies and lots of garlic.
- Pizza Napoli; tomato, mozzarella and anchovies.
- Capricciosa: a topping of mushrooms, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, olives and a boiled egg!
- Pizza Pugliese makes use of the local capers and olives of that area.
- Pizza Veronese has mushrooms and Prosciutto.
- Pizzas from Sicily can have numerous toppings ranging from green olives, seafood, hard-boiled eggs and peas!
Not Including Defrosting Time for the Dough
Ingredients for Both Pizzas
- 2 loaves frozen dough, defrosted
- Pizza Sauce: 1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
- To taste - Oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and freshly ground pepper
- For Veggie Pizza: 1/2 cup each of sweet onion, chopped, sweet pepper, chopped and, sliced fresh mushrooms, and 2 or 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 (2.5 oz.) can sliced black olives
- 3 cups Pizza blend cheese
- For cheese & Pepperoni Pizza: 2 cups, Pizza blend cheese
- As needed Sliced pepperoni
- Approx, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Start early in the morning and take 2 loaves of frozen dough out of the freezer. Rub a large sheet pan with oil and rub oil all over the frozen loaves. Place them on the pan and cover first with plastic wrap and then with a clean cloth. It will take several hours for them to defrost, then about another hour or two for them to rise.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or spray with non-stick spray 2 large pans. Square or round. Punch down the dough and place one on each pan and push them out with your hands. This will take a little while. See pictures.
- If you get holes, don't worry, just push them together or patch them. When the dough is spread out, spoon sauce on the dough, then the cheese and then whatever toppings you choose.
- We chose cheese and pepperoni for the round one (Olivia's preference), and pizza sauce, cheese and sautéed vegetables for the rectangle one.
- Bake at 400. I place one wrack in the middle of the oven and the other one higher. I baked the pizzas 10 minutes on the bottom wrack and 5 minutes on the top wrack. Let them sit about 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
- THE CHEESE AND PEPPERONI PIZZA: Self explanatory, just spread the cheese and top with the pepperoni.
