3-Meat Pizza with a Seasoned Crust

I used to be a vegetarian. Not a full-on "meats are evil" gal (I still ate fish and eggs), but I started doing the veggie thing and decided to continue because at the time I just didn't miss meats that much.

That was five years ago. Hardly a day has gone by since then that I have been meat-free. Now I revel in the delight of crispy, rich bacon with breakfast, perfectly tender chicken parmesan, and even the occasional juicy cheeseburger.

Don't get me wrong, I've heard all the meat-haters out there get on their soapboxes and disparage animal products saying things like, "Meat gives you cancer!" or "Too much protein is bad for you!" or "Red meat is the worst thing for you!" And if they can't make those claims then they just start spewing off things like "Hormones!", "Antibiotics!", "MSG!", "Processed!" all while trying to conjure up images from The Jungle in your impressionable brain.

All things in moderation, my friends. All things in moderation.

Sooo...pizza. Shall we?

Lately, before the pizza making on pizza night begins, I've been hearing the husband chirp into my ear, "Can you make it with a garlic crust?" And the answer is inevitably, "Of course, darling!"

Really, it is. Because all it takes to turn a crust from "plain" to "gourmet garlic" is to add about a tablespoon of garlic powder to the dough while it's mixing.

But for this za, I wanted something more from the crust. I added the standard 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, but I also included 1 tablespoon of onion powder and 1 tablespoon of oregano. And if I am remembering this correctly, "I think you've perfected the crust" is a direct quote from the spouse during the pizza eating. Score.

Seasoned dough, waiting and rising

Ingredients:

• Prepared or homemade pizza dough for the crust
• About 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1 cup shredded chicken breast meat
• 9-10 large deli pepperonis
• 5 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
• About 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

I seasoned up the chicken meat with a dash of chili powder and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. The pepperoni may lend enough spiciness for you. But not for me. I like it nice n' spicy!

Put it all together:

• First, place your pizza stone into a cold oven. I cannot stress this enough. If you want to know why, here's the reason. If you're going to be using the oven for the meat preparation, just leave the stone in there for whatever temperature you use to cook your meats, then later you can increase the temp up to 500 without ever having to wait for the oven to cool or putting the stone into an oven that's already hot. It is such a sadness to have a pizza stone break. When it happened to me, more than just my stone broke. So did a little piece of my soul. 

So let's get started with those three meats: chicken, pepperoni, and bacon.

• I prepped the chicken in the crock pot earlier in the day. I've found this is definitely the easiest way to prepare a bunch of plain chicken that I'll later shred and season for various meals. All that's required for that cooking is to place your chicken breasts (mine come in packages of 3) into the crock with a splash of olive oil plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Put the temp on low and let things simmer in there until the meat is no longer pink. My crock pot gets Africa-hot, so it only takes me about 3 hours on low to cook up that sort of batch. 
• The pepperoni is from the deli counter in the grocery store. Ask your delicatessen for about 9 or 10 thin slices of pepperoni. I used to order everything in pounds or ounces, but as it turns out, the people working behind the meat counter actually prefer counting slices than estimating the weight of your meats and cheeses. It didn't take me long to stop and think, "Oh, that does seem like it would be easier." 
• Bacon cooks so easily in the oven. Turn the oven to 375, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the bacon onto the sheet without overlapping any pieces. Place that in the oven until the bacon is crispy, about 10-15 minutes. When the bacon is done, blot the excess grease with paper towels, then crumble or chop it into bits and pieces. 

It's all just toppings from here!

• You did set your oven for 500 degrees a while back and put the pizza stone in it, right? Phew. Good. Now grab that stone with your hand in an oven mitt, place it on a stable work surface, and put the crust for your dough on top of the hot stone. Put it back in the oven (no toppings yet!) for 2-3 minutes. After that time, remove the half-cooked dough-topped stone form the oven and place it back on your work surface. (That's the secret to my so-called "perfected crust" recipe.)
• Spread the sauce on the dough as evenly as possible. Sprinkle on the shredded chicken. Evenly place the pepperonis on top of that. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese followed by the bacon bits. Add more cheese to any spots you may have missed.
• Put the whole shebang back in the oven and set a timer for about 6 or 7 minutes. Really, just stay nearby so you can keep an eye on it and take it out when the cheese is melted and the edges of the crust are golden brown. 

Pizza out to cool on the cooling rack. This definitely helps with crust crispiness.

If you don't have the patience or shoulder strength to keep up with the calisthenics of removing and replacing and removing the weighty pizza stone from the oven, then you can do things the lazy way. Top your dough once with all the toppings in the order described and cook it in the 500 degree oven for 10 minutes. Still works, still yummy, but perfect? I'll let you be the judge of that.

Dinner is served!

It feels so right to eat this meat-covered pizza. 

Play Dough

The homemade crust is arguably the sole determining factor in the deliciousness level of a pizza. Even if you've never had homemade, just think of the crust qualities in frozen pizza brands. DiGiorno and Freschetta have respectable foundations. Red Baron and Tombstone generally taste like cardboard. California Pizza Kitchen varieties are usually quite good, but mostly I prefer them for the toppings. Or think of delivery pizzas...they taste alright I guess, for a grease-soaked sponge. You can usually tell they're mass produced and previously frozen. And you can't really ever know what's in them or how long they've been around before they reach your plate.

This is why you must make your own crust. After you have a homemade pizza crust, no manufactured brand can even compare. I know, you say, but it takes too long! or, I don't have the patience/skills/time/ingredients/fill in the blank. Shut up, please. You do have these things. And if you think you don't have the exact thing you need, you can improvise with something similar. And most importantly, once you have a tasty homemade crust, you will not even want to bother with pizzas that are not boutique bistro-level quality. Your pizza bar will be majorly raised and your eyes will be opened to the infinite possibilities in the pizza world. Stay with me now...

To be honest, I have not tried too many homemade pizza dough recipes. I found one that I liked and I stuck with it. Since then, I've altered the recipe a bit on my own by using different types of flour, different amounts of yeast, and various spices.

This recipe makes a medium-thickness crust with a little chewiness. Definitely not a crispy thin crust. However, you could use only about half of the dough, roll it thin, and you will have a slightly thinner, slightly crispier crust. And two potential pizzas. Both ways are good.

Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 cup warm water (just warm to the touch)
• 2-3 tsp. yeast
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp safflower oil or olive oil
• About 1 cup all-purpose flour
• About 1 cup wheat flour
• Something to do for the next 1-2 hours

Here's what you should do:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and honey. Whisk it up. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes so the yeast dissolves and the mixture looks kind of creamy/frothy.
• Toss in the oil, salt, and about 1 cup of flour. Either white or wheat is fine. 
• Let all that stuff mingle together for about one minute in the mixer with the hook attachment and the speed on low. Scrape down the sides a little bit, then turn the mixer back on.
• From here on out, add 2-4 tablespoons of flour at a time. You may need slightly more or less than the 2 cups this recipe recommends; the goal is to have a soft dough that sticks to the bottom of the mixing bowl but pulls away from the sides. Keep your eye on it while it's mixing and add your flour in increments. 
• If you are really against the half-white, half-wheat thing, then please, just use whatever flour you like. But be warned - using all wheat flour creates a tougher dough that's harder to work with, doesn't rise as much, and is less tender than the white/wheat mix or all white flour. 
• You can also add spices if you'd like to make your dough a little more exciting. For this dough, I used rosemary and garlic powder. I've also done crusts using crushed red pepper flakes, herbs de Provence, onion powder, oregano, and basil. Just choose what you prefer or something that will compliment the future pizza's toppings.
• Once your dough reaches that soft consistency, continue to let it mix for another 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the mixer. Place it in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit there and rise for 1-2 hours, or until it's about double in size.

I always use regular yeast, not the rapid-rise kind. I don't know why I've never experimented with it. I may have some fear that there is going to be some sort of volcanic explosion in my kitchen. However, I've met people who use rapid-rise, and they did not indicate any explosions.

Also, you don't necessarily have to use honey. Yeast needs sugar to grow, so really any type will do. I've used white sugar, brown sugar, and rice syrup for this recipe before and they're all very good. But it's my favorite with honey. I know this recipe calls for 1/4 cup of honey, and to me that sort of seems like a lot. Which is why I never measure it out. I just drizzle out what's probably a couple of tablespoons of honey into the mixing bowl and call it a day. 

This is what "creamy/frothy" looks like. Kind of gross actually, but you'll know it when you see it.

Spinning dough and spices patiently waiting to add deliciousness to this dough in progress. 

Spinning dough! It smells of garlic and rosemary. And so will I for the next two days. But it does not even matter. It is worth it. 

And there it sits. Just waiting to rise and become the best pizza of your life. 

When you're ready to make it into a real crust, lightly flour your work surface (preferably, this should be a countertop). You may want to flour your fingertips a bit too so you don't end up with dough hands. Grab the dough out of the bowl where it is certainly much larger in size now. Knead it a few times by folding it over it self and flattening it out. Then roll it out to an even thickness and cut off any excess so that it becomes just slightly smaller than your pizza stone. 

Unfortunately, I have not mastered the skill of tossing pizza dough into the air, catching it, and ending up with a perfect pizza round a few minutes later. Actually, I have not even tried. But go for it if you dare. I'm not risking dropping this dough gold. After over an hour of prepping and waiting and still not even having a pizza to show for it, it is not worth the risk of ending up on the floor to me!