Home-made "Over the top" David's Pizza alla Arby's

I have perfected baking this type of pizza to a T. While my little boy came up with the toppings idea during our first pizza night, I have refined well and truly the recipe. In fact I could no longer remember how countless times I made this pizza for my little boy.

I have over-emphasized the importance of Less is more in making your own pizza. Do not overload your pizza with toppings. Let me say that again, don't overload lest your pizza gets too soggy and lest the Neo-Napolitans turn in their grave. A true pizza is simple. and it is the simple truth.

Making my own pizza in fact has a significant and deeply seated meaning in my baking life as well. I baked because in my mind I am continuing the legacy of the "greatest cook known to man", whom I simply call "my dearest Mommy". 

Mommy has whipped up the most complexed menu one could ever imagine, Mommy in her glory and all, simply liked pizza. It was her favourite food in the whole wide world. 

For someone - whose magic wand in the kitchen can whip up the most complexed or creative dish ever known - to favor pizza as her favourite food is simply beyond me and hard to fathom in epicurean world. :)

Ingredients:

1 dough recipe 

Click here for the dough recipe and other instructions

Tomato-based:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 can whole tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste (pizza flavour)

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

a good dash of salt

Toppings:

8 pieces of salami

6 pieces pepperoni

4 small anchovies in oil

4 slices of marinated artichoke

50 grams (or less) chopped black olives

100 grams mushroom

2 handful of grated mozzarella

1/3 cup of grated parmesan and strong cheddar combined

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C (200 C for fan-forced oven)

Tomato based sauce:

Heat up pot with olive oil, when oil is already hot, stir in all ingredients in medium-low heat. Continue cooking for 30 minutes while stirring it every now and then to avoid tomato sticking on the pan. Let cool.

Toppings:

Spread tomato sauce. Dont put too much.

Arrange Salami, pepperoni, anchovies, black olives and mushrooms on top of dough

Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella and 1/3 cup of other cheeses

Bake for 15 minutes then remove pizza from oven to sprinkle another handful of mozzarella on top. Bake for another 5 minutes.

Home-made "Over the top" alla David Pizza

This food entry has been sitting on my draft compartment far too long. I have delayed it long enough vis a vis my promise of posting it as soon as the pizza came out of the oven. I was overtaken by dishes I cooked and baked too many.

Anyway, This is my atypical pizza - I seldom eat meat, so I seldom cook meat dishes as well. On the other hand, this pizza is right up in David's alley - As men love their meat, and thrive on them, it came as no surprise that my little boy loves anything with meat on it as well. Although my little boy has managed to have a change of heart quite recently and succinctly announced that he doesn't loike meat anymore. How good is that?! :)

This is the pizza that brought out the little boy in my husband. I was relegated as his assistant while he dominated my kitchen dolling up the pizza base I made. While my little boy was fussy, giddy and thought the world of his pizza, I was calm and quietly doing my bit.  But a strange thing happened,  after wolfing down the pizzas during our pizza night and a whole pizza for the following day's lunch, he has lost interest and said, "baby, your pizzas are way better than mine, so we are not going to buy any pizza anymore and can you make all of them instead?".

To this, I answered my sweet smile and my solemn yes. This just goes to show my place in the world - kitchen.

The kitchen is my domain. :)

Warming: Do not overload your pizza base with so many toppings and cheese, as this will make your pizza soggy. Trust me I am talking from experience. LESS IS MORE.

Pizza 1 recipe, please click here.

Pizza2 recipe, please click here.

Home-made Thin-crust Proscuitto rocket alla marinara Pizza

My darling little boy has been harping on making pizzas at home for a long time, Oh, let me re-phrase that: My darling little boy has been sending innuendos for me to cook some home-made pizzas for him.

Get the drift? :))

His eyes lit up when I told him that I have a surprise for him; showed him my recent purchase of a pizza stone that was on sale. And this simply converts to home-made pizza night for us.

I should have taken some photos of my little boy during our pizza night together as he had me in stitches; he was so excited, babbling away with the thought of doing his own pizza (this means I prepare the dough and tomato sauce of course,  and bake the whole pizza while he does the toppings...only)  and giddy that simply melt my heart away.

(Note: Pizza with toppings made by my darling little boy (read: husband) will be featured in the next blog entry)

A mere smile from my little boy makes me spring high, sends me springing to stratosphere and thugs my heart strings. So what more of a pizza night with 3 different flavors in tow? Im a breathless! 

It is LOVE.

:))

For recipe of pizza dough and tomato sauce, please click here

Ingredients:
1 Quantity basic pizza dough
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
55 g/2 oz capers
100g/ 3 1/2 oz black olives
200g/7 oz Bel Paese cheese, grated (I opted to use mozzarella cheese instead)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil to drizzle
3-4 slices of proscuitto
Handful of rocket leaves

Preheat the over to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.
Distribute the tomatoes over the dough. Season with the garlic, oregano and salt and pepper. Scatter over the capers and olives and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Drizzle over the oil, then bake in the preheated over for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove pizza from oven, put some slices of proscuitto and a handful of rocket

Home-made Thin crust Vegetarian Pizza

This home-made pizza made my little boy announce that from this day forward we are no longer allowed to order pizza for delivery...And my only response to that is, "Amen".

Basic Pizza dough

*Can make 4 quantities of pizza dough

2 sachets easy blend dried yeast

1/2 tsp caster sugar

125 ml/4 fl oz lukewarm water

425 g/15 oz plain flour plus extra for dusting

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil

5-7 tbsp water

Crumble the yeast into a small bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Add the water, then stir to dissolve the yeast and sugar. Cover with a clean tea towel and prove in a warm spot for 30 minutes (In my case, I usually use the oven, don't turn it on though).

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a hollow in the centre and pour the yeast mixture, salt,, olive oil and the water into it.

Knead everything into a smooth, silky dough, then shape it into a ball. Dust the ball with a little flour, cover and set aside in a warm place to rise for a further hour, or until doubled in volume.

Basic tomato sauce

* Amount is adequate for 4 pizzas

4 tbsp of olive oil

2 small onions

400 g/ 14 oz canned diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the canned tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce for about 30 minutes in medium-low heat.

100 g (or more) Mozzarella cheese

1 grilled bell pepper/capsicum

10 slices (or more) sun-dried tomatoes

a few basil leaves

a sprinkle of oregano

salt and pepper to season

Olive oil

Preheat the overn to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7 and grease four round pizza tins.

*I always use fan-force oven hence I lower the oven temperature by 20 degrees. I also use pizza stone because accordingly the stone spreads the temperature evenly and makes your crust crispy which is my personal preference by the way. Pizza stone is a commercially made round brink much akin to the traditionally made stone grill or wood stove preferred by Italians. I know that this is debatable as nothing is  more beautifully made than by making your pizza through stone grill or wood stove. But in the interest of home quick meal (although kneading and proofing for almost 2 hours is not quickie at all) and home-made goodies, a pizza stone is the closest to getting the real McCoy. 

Distribute the tomato sauce. Season with dried oregano, then sprinkle with mozarella cheese. You must control yourself putting tomato sauce and cheese though, too much will make your pizza soggy. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.

*After 10 minutes, remove the pizza from oven, add and spread your bell pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes then sprinkle again with mozarella cheese, bake your pizza with the remaining 5 minutes.

Remove pizza from oven and stone, then sprinkle with basil leaves.