To Each His Own

People have different tastes. Preferences. As I have mentioned before, I strongly dislike pasta but adore coffee. I try to also respect that others have their likes and dislikes. We are all different, each created uniquely and made to be special.

I guess this is why I don't find it odd that making pizza turns out to be such a great meal. Instead of large crusts, small crusts can be made and everyone can enjoy exactly what they want. No picking off, no complaining. Sure, you must have enough baking sheets to hold all you make. But in the long run, you feel satisfied because everyone is generally happy.

Pizza Dough
From Cooking Light
Makes 2 12-inch crusts.

1 teaspoon of sugar
1 package of dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 cup of warm water (100-110F)
3 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
cooking spray

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 3/4 cups flour, oil, and salt to yeast mixture; stir until blended. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

2. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)

3. Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

4. Divide dough in half. Shape dough according to recipe directions.

Cook's Notes: For both pizzas I used an Italian tomato sauce sold here in Peru. I've made my own before and will do so again. Both are topped with mozzarella cheese. But between the sauce and the cheese lies the difference! One pizza contains shredded chicken, Zimmerman's Chorizo and green olives stuffed with rocoto. The other pizza has shredded chicken, swiss chard, quick roasted bell peppers and toasted garlic.

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These pizzas are for Hay, Hay It's Donna Day #17 being hosted by ChichaJo at 80 Breakfasts. I cannot wait to see what everyone has come up with. Just for the record, I did try the recipe for pizza dough on 80 Breakfasts last week but found it to be too dry for my liking. I plan to experiment with it again.