In an early step in
the original pizza recipe from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day by Jeff
Herbzberg and Zoë Francois, they state, “Thirty minutes before
you’re ready to bake, preheat a baking stone at your oven’s highest
temperature, with the baking stone placed in the bottom third of the oven
(consider a longer preheat if you’re finding the crust results are too soft.)
Later on they tell you to transfer the prepared pizza to a pizza peel and then
to slide it from the peel to the heated stone. I have neither stone or a pizza
peel but I do have a pizza pan with holes (for air circulation) and so decided
to see if I could adapt the recipe to use what I have. It worked and I’ve
included the directions based on my adaptations. I also baked the pizza in a
countertop Breville oven and I think this helped with the browning process,
too. (When
Jeff demonstrated at the
2017 National Festival of Breads he mentioned, "The smaller the oven, the better
flatbreads brown." )
The resulting
pizza crust is crisp and just a little chewy. We think it is the perfect crust
for a wide variety of topping and it is our new favorite!
The other great
thing about this pizza – the dough is ready to use! Just roll it out, add
topping and bake.
Pizza in 5
Toppings of your
choice
- Prepare toppings in advance.
- Spray pizza pan (with holes) with pan spray.
- Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerate dough with flour.
Pull up and cut off a half-pound (orange-sized) piece of dough using a serrated
knife or kitchen shears.
- Hold the piece of dough in your hands and add a little more
flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of
the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the dough a
quarter-turn as you go to form a ball. Most of the dusting flour will fall off.
- Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pen on the
counter to a 1/8” thick roud, dusting with flour to keep the dough from
adhering to the work surface. Use a dough scraper to “un-stick” the dough as
needed.
- When done, carefully transfer to prepared pizza pan and
stretch to adjust to cover pan.
- Add toppings.
- Place the pizza in a preheated oven at high temperature
(highest temp on our Breville oven is 450°) and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until
crust is brown on top + browned and crisp on bottom – this usually takes an
extra 2 to 5 minutes in the Breville.
A couple of Topping Ideas . . .
Classic Pizza Margherita (Mozzarela, Tomato & Basil) from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut or torn into chunks
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
Coarse salt + Olive oil for drizzling.
- Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at
edges.
- Add cheese and basil + a sprinkle of salt. Drizzle with a little olive
oil.
- Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
Cheeseburger Pizza
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup each of chopped peppers and onions
1/4 to 1/3 cup sliced black olive
About 1/2 to 3/4 lb. browned ground beef
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (cut or torn into chunks)
About 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
- Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges, sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Add peppers, onions and black olives.
- Distribute browned ground beef over the top and then add cheeses.
- Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil once pizza comes out of oven.
Recipes without photos . . .
Pizza in 5
Toppings of your choice
- Prepare toppings in advance.
- Spray pizza pan (with holes) with pan spray.
- Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerate dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a half-pound (orange-sized) piece of dough using a serrated knife or kitchen shears.
- Hold the piece of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the dough a quarter-turn as you go to form a ball. Most of the dusting flour will fall off.
- Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pen on the counter to a 1/8” thick roud, dusting with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the work surface. Use a dough scraper to “un-stick” the dough as needed.
- When done, carefully transfer to prepared pizza pan and stretch to adjust to cover pan.
- Add toppings.
- Place the pizza in a preheated oven at high temperature (highest temp on our Breville oven is 450°) and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is brown on top + browned and crisp on bottom – this usually takes an extra 2 to 5 minutes in the Breville.
A couple of Topping Ideas . . .
Classic Pizza Margherita (Mozzarela, Tomato & Basil) from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut or torn into chunks
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
Coarse salt + Olive oil for drizzling.
- Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges.
- Add cheese and basil + a sprinkle of salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
Cheeseburger Pizza
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup each of chopped peppers and onions
1/4 to 1/3 cup sliced black olive
About 1/2 to 3/4 lb. browned ground beef
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (cut or torn into chunks)
About 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
- Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges, sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Add peppers, onions and black olives.
- Distribute browned ground beef over the top and then add cheeses.
- Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil once pizza comes out of oven.
