Fast forward to my 30's and I discover that I like baking pizza at home more than ordering out. I have more control of my dough, my sauce, and my toppings. I don't think I'll ever consider pizza a healthy food item, but I can control what I add to the dough! Extras like pea protein, fiber, whole week flour make that pizza dough extra special. Ok, I admit- I still use regular flour most of the time, but maybe one day!
This week is the Great American Pizza Bake week- held the second week of February every year. Have you ever heard of this national holiday? Until recently, I was clueless myself.
To get to the Pizza Bake, we must first get to pizza's creation. It's no surprise that people long ago figured out how to mix dough, water, and other elements to create bread. As time evolved, so did the way that breads were made- round, flat, oval, etc. For many, flat breads were common as they were easy to cook on stone and soaked up broth, fruits, veggies, meats, etc.
Originally, these flat-breads did not have toppings that we now know. Up the Black Plague, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous and were largely ignored. With the scarcity of foods, people took their chances and discovered the nutritious bountiful benefits of these wonderful fruits. Toppings continued to be developed, much like mozzarella cheese, which was discovered in 6th C.E Campania.
So, how did we get to American Pizza? The Italians brought it over during the 19th century immigration to the United States! Of course, pizza has continued to evolve since the traditional dough, tomato sauce, cheese.. and there are even movies out there that tell the woes of competing Italian pizza restaurants (cue ABC Family's 2005's Pizza My Heart)!
This week- be adventurous and make your own pizza at home. I promise- it's not that difficult. I have friends who have taught their kids how to make dough and now every Friday is pizza night in that household. I often make my own dough- but you can certainly hit up the grocery or bake shop for fresh and frozen dough if it intimidates you! The hardest part is activating the yeast, which, I just recommend boiling it some water, wait for it to cool, and take its temp like you would with candy or meat!
My current favorite dough recipe is a Bobby Flay inspiration! It uses bread flour, but as I'm an advocate, I often use what's in my pantry, which most of the time is white flour. I do through some fiber into the mixture and sometimes will include almond flour, if I have it available too.
I don't own a scale, so I am not in with precise measurements. I do knead well for a few minutes, but I don't spend a long time on that part. I definitely make sure to allow enough time for the dough to rise though! If the dough rises, then I know I've done my job! I like this dough because I don't get the yeasty taste I get with some other recipes!
As far as topping- I'm supposed to avoid a lot of acidic foods, so I've often avoided tomato based sauces in a lot of things. I've found my favorite pizza is a garlic olive oil base with cheese, onions, and fresh arugula, and sliced red onions. If I'm feeling like it's okay, I'll add some diced or sliced tomatoes.. as I think its the tomato paste part that bothers me and not the actual tomato!
If you are a tomato fan, you can buy your favorite sauce at the store.. or if feeling a bit adventurous and have tomatoes and paste on hand, you can make your own too!
See.. I do try to keep my pizza on the healthy side! Often, I'll spread a bit of Balsamic on top for that wonderful flavor!
This week- get out there and participate in the Great American Pizza Bake! Running short on time? Of course, it's still okay to grab pizza take-out from your favorite local eatery.. after all, they have their pizza science down!
What are your favorite pizza toppings?
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