A lot of people do a pizza night at least once a week, and for many of us that night is usually Friday. Having pizza for dinner is a nice, casual start to the weekend and there are so many different varieties you just can’t get bored of eating it.
You might have heard that pizza has its origins in Italy, but it’s actually the word ‘pizza’ that first made its appearance in Italy in 997 AD. Long before that people were adding ingredients to flat bread dough or focaccia, and historians think they can trace pizza type recipes all the way back to Neolithic times.
You have to wonder if they had pizza night way back then? If they did, they probably didn’t have the types of pizza we have now, or the gadgets we can use to make them. I love the Breville Crispy Crust Pizza Maker. It’s like having a real pizza oven in your kitchen. I’m also a fan of the Breville Pizza Stone for extra crispy crust.
There are many different pizza recipes out there, but these are a few of my favourites.
Pizza Dough
Photo and recipe from CanadianLiving.com.
Any great pizza starts with the perfect pizza crust, and this pizza crust from Canadian Living is definitely one of the best I’ve tried. If you like a gluten free crust, you can sub in 2 cups of Namaste Flour for the all-purpose flour.
| Ingredients: 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour, (approx)
1 tsp (5 mL) quick-rising instant dry yeast 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 2/3 cup (150 mL) warm water 2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil
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Directions
In large bowl, whisk together 1-1/2 cups of the flour, yeast and salt. Using wooden spoon, stir in warm water and olive oil until ragged dough forms.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead dough, adding as much of the remaining flour, a little at a time, as needed to make smooth, elastic dough (slightly tacky to the touch, but won’t stick to hands or work surface), about 8 minutes.
Transfer to greased bowl; turn dough to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours. (Orlet rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.)
To make 12-inch regular pizza: On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 12-inch (30 cm) circle; transfer to greased pizza pan. Add desired toppings. Bake on bottom rack in 500 F (260 C) oven until crust is golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
To make 14-inch thin-crust pizza: On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 14-inch (35 cm) circle; transfer to greased pizza pan. Add desired toppings. Bake on bottom rack in 500 F (260 C) oven until crust is golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
Spanish Tapas Pizza
Photo and recipe from Delish.com.
Until I tried this recipe for Spanish Tapas pizza, I’ve only ever had great Spanish pizza in a restaurant. The scent of the chorizo sausage baking in the oven is enough to send your tastebuds into overdrive.
| Ingredients: 1 teaspoon(s) olive oil
1 large (12-inch) prebaked thin pizza crust 1/2 cup(s) marinara sauce 1/2 cup(s) chorizo sausage, finely chopped, fully cooked 1 cup(s) shredded Manchego cheese, or mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup(s) roasted red peppers, thinly sliced 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
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Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush large pizza pan with oil. Place crust on prepared pan.
Spread marinara sauce on crust in even layer. Top with sausage, Manchego cheese, red peppers, and onion.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese has melted. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Bacon Breakfast Pizza
Recipe and photo from the foodnetwork.com.
Did someone say bacon? Mix it up with salsa, add a few eggs, and you have breakfast pizza for dinner. It’s time consuming to make, but This.Is.Delicious.
| Ingredients:
For the salsa: 1 14 -ounce can whole tomatoes 1 10 -ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (or more to taste) 2 tablespoons chopped onion 1 small clove garlic, minced 1/2 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Kosher salt Juice of 1/2 lime For the pizza: 1 pound thick-cut peppered bacon 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the baking sheet 2 cups frozen hash browns 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 pound pizza dough 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 8 large eggs Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
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Directions
Make the salsa: Combine the whole tomatoes with their juices, diced tomatoes, cilantro, onion, garlic, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the lime juice in a food processor or blender. Pulse several times until it reaches the consistency you like. Set aside.
Prepare the pizza: Place the oven rack in the lowest position and preheat to 475 degrees F. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until chewy, about 8 minutes; drain on paper towels. Chop into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a separate large skillet over medium-high heat; add the frozen hash browns and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just start turning golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same skillet, fry the red and green peppers in the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat until they’re nice and brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread 1/2 cup salsa over the dough, then evenly distribute the sliced mozzarella over the salsa. Sprinkle with the hash browns, bell peppers and bacon.
Make 8 little wells in the filling here and there all over the surface of the pizza; crack the eggs into the wells. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the eggs are set but still slightly soft, about 15 minutes. Cut into large pieces and serve with the remaining salsa.
Delish.com.
| Ingredients: 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 can(s) (15-ounce) fat-free refried beans 1/2 teaspoon(s) chili powder 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cumin 1 can(s) (15-ounce) no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed 1 cup(s) shredded pepper Jack cheese 1 avocado, sliced 1 cup(s) chunky salsa 3 cup(s) shredded romaine lettuce Limes, for serving
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Directions
Arrange oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray; place 2 tortillas on each.
Combine refried beans, chilli powder, and ground cumin; spread on tortillas. Top with kidney beans, shredded pepper Jack cheese, and avocado slices.
Bake 12 minutes or until tortillas are crisp around edges, switching racks halfway through cooking. Top with chunky salsa and shredded romaine lettuce. Serve with lime.
I hope these recipes help you enjoy your weekly pizza night even more than you already do. If you need some pizza making supplies, look no further than Pizza Pan & Serving Pieces on Best Buy right now. Here are some of the pizza accessories I can’t live without.
 Having the Breville Pizza Maker is like adding a pizza oven to your kitchen |
 The Breville Pizza Stone cooks up crispy pizza crust in no time |
 Get the perfect slice every time with the Vacu Vin Mezzaluna Pizza Slicer |
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