Pizza Bites

This recipe is one we've had occasionally for our Super Bowl feast. My family enjoys the vast spread that I put out for the game. Pizza Bites are are balls of pizza, with pepperoni and mozzarella tucked inside a ball of pizza dough. So easy and so yummy.

Pizza Bites

Ingredients:

        ½ batch Pizza Dough (enough for 1 pizza)

        4 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces)

        Sliced Pepperoni

For topping: 

        Olive Oil

        Italian Seasoning

        Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  
2. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan.  
3. Divide the pizza dough into 20-24 roughly equal sized pieces.  
4. Take one of the dough pieces, top with a cube of cheese and a slice or two of pepperoni. 
5. Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed.  
6. Place seam-side down in the baking dish.  
7. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.  
8. Lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil.  
9. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese.  
10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  

Serve warm, with dipping sauce as desired. 

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Detroit Style Pizza

I never really paid attention to the different types of pizzas around the country. Being in Upstate New York we just ate what was available for ordering. Folding is NOT an option, just as using a fork. I mean, who does that? Then one day I ventured into the no-man's land of facebook and saw a post about a local man with a devoted following. He makes a finite number of pizzas whenever he feels like it and then posts a link for people to sign up for their pizzas. The people who get to the sign-up on time meet him at that day's location and receive delicious Detroit Pizza. It sounds shady but it isn't.

I never attempted to get one of his pizzas but instead I looked for a way to make them myself. This is now the family favourite. I had to cap us at twice a month. Ideally this is cooked in a special Detriot Pizza Pan, but it can be substituted with a 9x13 metal pan. I wanted both pizzas to match sizes and didn't have two metal pans. I'll buy a second one eventually but for now I'm using glass pans. Not perfect but it's still amazing!

Detroit Pizzas are absolutely delicious! Because they don't have a crust you spread the cheese to the outer edges. This makes the cheese melt down the sides to create a crispy crust. It is a deep dish but not like a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. This one is so much better (so I've been told)!

The dough is wetter than regular pizza dough (think focaccia), but can be swapped for frozen dough in a pinch. Just don't skip the double rising needed. You want the chewy, airy and bubbly crust that results.

Detroit Pizza

Ingredients:

Dough:

    

    1 cup + 2 Tbsp Lukewarm Water

    ½ tsp Instant Dry Yeast

    2 ½ cups Bread Flour*

    1 tsp Sea Salt, ground

   

    Can substitute with frozen pizza dough.

Toppings:

    3/4 cup Pizza Sauce*

    2 1/2 cups Shredded Low Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, or 8oz Brick, diced

    3 oz Natural Casing Pepperoni, thinly sliced

    1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly shredded

Directions:

1. Make dough: If using frozen skip this step.
1. Stir all ingredients together in a bowl or stand mixer.
2. Knead for several minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
2. First rise: Place in a well-greased bowl, turning once in the bowl to coat in oil, then cover and allow to rise for 2 hours. (Don't skimp on the rise times!)
3. Oil the bottom and sides of pan.
4. Stretch dough into a rectangle and lay into pan(s).
5. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
6. Without handling the dough too much, gently spread the dough all the way to the edges of the pan, poking it into the corners, in a flat even layer (there’s no “crust” edge).
7. Second rise: Rise again for 2 hours, or until the dough has risen about ⅓ way up the pan.
8. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven allow it to preheat in the oven. Leave under the pan,
9. Preheat to 450 degrees. 
10. Sprinkle cheese all over the dough, making sure it covers all the way to the edges.
11. Spoon pizza sauce into 3 lines/stripes going down the pan, over cheese— you don’t want to cover all the cheese in sauce.
12. Add pepperoni, laying it in a single layer over the top of each row of sauce.
13. Lightly sprinkle parmesan on top.
14. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
15. Cool for a few minutes in the pan before slicing into squares.

Notes:

• Bread Flour: It would be best to not substitute all-purpose. The dough layered with all of the toppings doesn’t hold up as well with all-purpose.
• Toppings are added in reverse from a traditional pepperoni pizza. Add the mozzarella first, then the pizza sauce. Pepperoni is added last.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

 

Crescent Veggie Pizza

I got this recipe from a lovely Amish Mom at my children's school. Way back in my other blog Walking Between the Grapevines I had mentioned that school many times. It was in a very small farming community in Western New York, and the fact that so many residents were members of the Ohio sect of Amish we all interacted. My son on the spectrum had classmates who attended the regular school for the extra help from the most amazing teacher.

For class events Mrs. Miller would always bring this delicious veggie pizza and was kind enough to offer the recipe to me. It is a family favourite for family events, the Super Bowl, holidays, and whenever I feel like making it, or they ask me to.

This recipe is doubled because that's how we make it.

Crescent Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

        2 cans Crescent Dinner Rolls

        1 pkg (8oz) Cream Cheese, softened

        1/2  cup Sour Cream

        1 tsp Dill Weed

        1/8 tsp Garlic Powder

        1/2 cup small Fresh Broccoli Florets

        1/3 cup Cucumber Slices, quartered

        1 Roma Tomato, seeded and chopped

        1/4 cup Carrot, shredded

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Unroll both cans of dough.
3. Separate dough into 4 rectangles.
4. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, place dough; press in bottom and up sides to form crust.
5. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  
6. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
7. In small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth.
8. Spread over crust.
9. Top with vegetables. 
10. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.
11. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving. 

Enjoy!

            Ingrid