PIZZA OR TARTE FOR TWO

     

Unless something new and really tasty comes along, this will probably be my last recipe posting. I have been working on this for over a year. I’m not like America’s Test Kitchen where I could test the recipe changes one right after another. No, I had to space out my research so that Frank wouldn’t become sick and tired of pizza.

I did do a previous post on Margherita Pizza, but that dough was too sticky and too much of a hassle. I've been working on the recipe since then, and this recipe is so much easier. You can use the topping recipe there for a nice Margherita pizza.

Basically, the dough recipe almost equals one sixth of my two-loaf bread recipe. That would amount to two and a half slices in each of the two servings – just the amount of a nice big sandwich – not too much for a dinner for the old folks. It can be made thin and flat, or deep dish.

In years past I’ve made a traditional Tarte aux Moutarde, a French Tomato and Mustard Pie, using prepared pie dough or tortillas. I thought to make it with my new pizza dough, and it was just great.  Then I tried tomato, cheddar, and bacon – delish!

My spaghetti sauce recipe is great but a bit too ‘sweet’ for pizza. I’m tacking on the chunky pizza sauce recipe I developed at the same time I was messing around with the dough recipe.

The Basic Dough:

Start dough around 4 or 4:15 p.m. for dinner around 6.

1/3 cup warm water        ½ tsp. salt               

1 tsp. yeast                     1 Tbsp. oil               

1 tsp. sugar                     1 cup of flour

Mix the first five ingredients then add the flour. Mix until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Add a bit more flour if dough is too sticky. Turn out onto the counter, flour your hands, and knead it until it becomes silky. Form it into a ball. Let the dough rise for about 20 minutes.

It doesn't look too promising here, but just
dump it out on the counter and begin
kneading this with your hands.
Add a little flour if it gets sticky, and

soon you'll have a little ball of dough
that looks like this. Let it rise for 20 minutes.

For Deep Dish Pizza, spray 8x10 Pyrex dish  

Knead the dough a bit more, then roll it out to fit the bottom of the dish, spreading it a bit up the sides.  Let the dough rise in a warm oven until it is time to preheat.

 At 5:15 or so, remove the dish from the oven, and turn on the oven to 450°

Leave the pizza on top of the stove and wait to top it until the oven is up to temperature.

Then pour on the sauce (see recipe of Chunky Pizza Sauce or use 1 cup of other sauce), top with a cup or more of mozzarella, and pepperoni, etc.

Bake the pizza for 10 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 350° and bake it 10 minutes more.

Out of the oven - crunchy cheese edges 

 Split two ways - delicious!

For Thin Crust Pizza spray 14” Lodge pizza iron or whatever you choose to use. Follow the recipe for the dough. 
Knead the dough a bit more, then roll it out to just fit the iron. Let the dough rise in a warm oven until it is time to preheat. At 5:15 or so, remove the dish from the oven, and turn on the oven to 450°

This is a 14" pizza iron from Lodge -
available at Amazon

For Regular Pizza, use about a cup and a half of sauce, a cup or more of mozzarella, and as much pepperoni or other toppings as you’d like. I didn't take pictures of this pizza, but you know what it should look like. Bake the pizza for 10 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 350° and bake it 10 minutes more.

Now here's the finished Tarte aux Moutarde

For French Tomato and Mustard Tarte, first top the crust with a slathering of Dijon mustard, about 1/3 of a cup. Then lay on 8 ounces of sliced Swiss cheese. 

Top this with a generous sprinkle of shredded fresh or frozen basil, as much or as little as you’d like, and maybe some chopped chives.  

Then add slices of a large, ripe tomato, salt and pepper it, and top off with a sprinkle of olive oil over the tomatoes. Bake as for the Thin Crust Pizza:
10 minutes at 450°, and then 10 minutes at 350°. 

For Bacon, Tomato and Cheese Tarte, first top the crust with 8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar. Then sprinkle on crumbled cooked bacon from a half pound of regular or thick sliced bacon. Then add slices of a large, ripe tomato, salt and pepper, and top off with a sprinkle of olive oil over the tomatoes. Bake as for the regular Thin Crust Pizza: 10 minutes at 450°, and then 10 minutes at 350°. 

Think up other tarte combos of cheeses, mushrooms, asparagus – be creative. These tarte recipes don’t work too well with the deep dish recipe.

CHUNKY PIZZA SAUCE FOR TWO   

  

I like to add a little interest to our pizza, so I sauté chopped onions for this sauce. This recipe makes five batches of sauce for Deep Dish Pizza for two, or about three batches for Thin Crust Pizza) or about 5 cups.

2 medium onions, minced - sauté  for 15 minutes in 
1 Tbsp. butter - and ¼ cup olive oil

Add 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

      2 Tbsp. tomato paste

      ½ tsp. sugar

      2 tsp. minced garlic

      ½ cup of water

Pinch each of thyme, rosemary, and sage (these my choices – choose some of your own, but not more than a teaspoon in total.)

When sauce is done and off the heat add ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.