Yesterday was one of those days where things just did not go quite as planned. The day began in a normal peaceful manner. I enjoyed having my coffee and listening to the birds sing, catching up on the news, and working on a post to share. Knowing I had some errands to run that would keep me away most of the day, I planned on making a pizza for dinner. That would be easy. I knew I had some odds and ends to use up after having company last weekend. (Seems to always be the case after I feed a bunch of folks). I had a frozen pizza dough that I had made a few weeks ago in the freezer, so I moved it to the fridge where it would be waiting for me upon my return.

I decided to treat myself to a full service car wash. The long winter months, and my neglect had wreaked havoc on the interior of the car, so I felt justified with the expense of this lavish treat. Like a little kid, I ran from window to window to watch the car being pulled through the soapy roller-coaster of brushes. The sun danced on the glistening vehicle which seemed proud to be lined up in the parade of shiny cars waiting for their final detailing. As I stood watching the young people aerobically polish the cars from top to bottom, it appeared that mine was in the lane with the least ambitious employees on duty. With the wave of a towel a young man signaled that the car was ready. But wait! They did not vacuum! The main purpose of this visit!  After a conversation with the crew leader, they made good and completed the detailing, but my quick trip to the car wash had now turned into more than an hour.

Across town I got stuck in traffic for another hour, only to find that the roads were completely closed where I was trying to go.  By now the day had turned to late afternoon and my last good nerve was shot. It was right then that I made the corporate decision to head home and have an icy cold beer.

Back in the safety of my kitchen, with an adult beverage in hand, I was able to think about the pizza.

Making pizza at home is an easy and cost-effective way to use up the “odds and ends” in the fridge, giving new life to leftovers that might otherwise be overlooked. I can almost always find ingredients that can be used for toppings without a trip to the store. By shredding that small bit of chicken or roast, thinly slicing the last part of a steak, or crumbling up a grilled burger from the night before, there is very little that can not be reborn on a pizza. Remember a small amount goes along way. Six to eight ounces of meat on a pizza is plenty, the goal here is to use up the last bits.

I found in my fridge, one grilled hamburger patty, a bit of red and green pepper previously prepped for a salad, some onion, four mushrooms and cheese. Perfect!

I rolled out my thawed pizza dough and spread about three tablespoons of red sauce edge to edge using the back of my spoon. I keep a jar of prepared pasta sauce in the fridge just for this purpose. Next I sprinkled my ingredients evenly over the pie, finishing it off with the cheese.

Pizza cooks best in a hot oven, 425° F. Make sure the oven is hot before you place your pizza. Bake it for about 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.

At the table I don’t think anyone you serve your pizza to would know that it was a leftover (unless you want them to), and what a simple way to make an easy, delicious, and nutritious dinner.

Easy recipe for basic pizza dough.  Recipe makes enough dough for two 14″ – 15″ pizzas.  Make ahead and freeze so you always have some on hand.

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Pizza Dough

Easy recipe for basic pizza dough. Make ahead and freeze so you always have some on hand.

Course Breads

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Rise Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 14" Crusts

Author Christoph

Ingredients

• 4½ - 5 cups flour
• 1 package of instant dry yeast 2¼ teaspoons
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1¾ cup warm water - Not Hot! 85 - 90 degrees F
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil plus some for bowl

Instructions

• Put 2 cups of flour, yeast and salt into food processor and pulse 5 - 6 times to mix.
• Pour in water and pulse another 5 – 6 times.  Add olive oil and pulse.
• Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time pulsing to mix, scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to pulse until a ball forms.
• Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, working the dough as little as possible. 
• Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm location to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.
• Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal parts.  Each part will make about a 14″ pizza.
• Roll out dough to desired thickness and place on a corn meal dusted stone or parchment lined baking sheet. Top with ingredients and bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes or until crust is light brown.

Notes

If you are only making one pizza, you can freeze the other half. Place the dough in a freezer bag. When ready to use move dough to refrigerator a day ahead. Will thaw at room temperature in 3 - 4 hours.

Pizza dough is also fun to cook on the grill. Simply heat your grill on high, brush it clean, and lightly oil. Reduce the heat to medium. Roll out your dough to the desired size and thickness. Place the dough directly on the grill. Watch for bubbles to form, and for the edges to lightly brown. Turn the dough with a spatula or tongs, and grill until golden.