Pizza in 5 -- artisan make ahead crust + a couple of toppings

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

Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day (website: BreadIn5)

1. Prepare toppings in advance.
2. Spray pizza pan (with holes) with pan spray.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
   
   
   
5. 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.
   
6. When done, carefully transfer to prepared pizza pan and stretch to adjust to cover pan.
   
7. Add toppings.
   
8. 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.

1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges.
2. Add cheese and basil + a sprinkle of salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. 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

1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges, sprinkle with Italian seasoning. 
   
2. Add peppers, onions and black olives.
   
3. Distribute browned ground beef over the top and then add cheeses.
   
4. Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
5. Sprinkle with fresh basil once pizza comes out of oven.
   

Recipes without photos . . .

Pizza in 5

Toppings of your choice

Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day (website: BreadIn5)

1. Prepare toppings in advance.
2. Spray pizza pan (with holes) with pan spray.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. When done, carefully transfer to prepared pizza pan and stretch to adjust to cover pan.
7. Add toppings.
8. 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.

1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges.
2. Add cheese and basil + a sprinkle of salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. 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

1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges, sprinkle with Italian seasoning. 
2. Add peppers, onions and black olives.
3. Distribute browned ground beef over the top and then add cheeses.
4. Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
5. Sprinkle with fresh basil once pizza comes out of oven.