A Trio of Homemade Pizzas

There is nothing quite like homemade pizza with all your favorite toppings. Today's pizza trio post is inspired by Taste and Tell for the pizza dough, my family for the hamburger and the cheese pizzas and by Half Baked Harvest for the burrata artichoke pesto salad version of pizza. 

Dough:

6 cups flour

2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp yeast

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup olive  oil

2 ½ cups warm water

In a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Mix to incorporate and add in the oil and water. Mix about 5 minutes as the dough takes on a stretchy feel and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Spray a bit of oil in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in the oven (turned off) with the light on for about one hour. The dough should be about doubled in size. Turn out onto a floured surface and divide dough into 4 equal pieces (I put one in the fridge for later). Shape into round mounds using the flour where needed so its not sticky and let rise under a kitchen towel (flour sack style) for about another hour. 

Stretch and pull dough with the back of your hands to fit your pizza pan (or use a rolling pin). You can dust the pans with a bit of cornmeal to prevent the pizzas from sticking. Place pizza dough on the pans and back into the oven with the light on while you make the sauce and get the toppings ready.

Sauce:

5 medium tomatoes (or a 15 oz tin of tomatoes)

¼ cup of onion cut into chunks

2 cloves of garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

Garlic salt and pepper, to taste

Dried oregano, to taste

Blend in your blender for about 2 minutes or until the sauce is pureed and a bit thickened. Spread over your pizza crust and top as desired.

The Cheese Pizza:

Oregano, to taste

1-2 cups of mozzarella shredded cheese

1-2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of fresh mozzarella cheese (a ball torn into pieces or bite sized)

Sprinkle a bit of oregano over the sauce and top with a handful of mozzarella shredded cheese, sharp cheddar cheese shreds and fresh mozzarella pieces if you like.

The Burger Pizza:

1.5 lbs hamburger

¼ cup onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Oregano, to taste

1-2 cups of mozzarella shredded cheese

1-2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese

4 oz black olives, sliced

1 tomato, diced

2 green onions, diced

Saute the burger with the onion, garlic and seasonings. Sprinkle a bit of oregano over the sauce and top with a handful of mozzarella shredded cheese and sharp cheddar cheese shreds. Top with burger, olive slices, tomatoes and green onions. 

The Burrata Salad Pizza:

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

2 Tbsp of the artichoke marinade

2 Tbsp pesto

Juice of ½ a lemon

½ cup of manzanillo green olives

2 green onions, sliced

1 ball of burrata

Mix the artichoke hearts and marinade with the pesto, lemon juice, olives, green onions and spinach. Toss to mix and set aside. 

Sprinkle a bit of oregano over the sauce and top with a handful (or two) of mozzarella shredded cheese. Bake (per below) and remove from the oven; top with the spinach salad and tear the ball of burrata cheese into creamy bite sized pieces over the pizza.

Baking Pizzas:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place pizzas in the hot oven to bake for 8-12 minutes. The crust will be a dark golden color and the cheeses will be melted and golden as well.