Lajla from Denmark said:BUT - what is a plain cheese pizza?
American cheese pizza can vary depending on which restaurant/pizza place/supermarket you get it
from; whether it's basic or fancy - up to 6 cheeses in the latter; and which part of the country
you're in. But usually it's a regular pizza, including sauce, simply with cheese as the only
topping. Most places I've seen it, the basic cheese pizza includes mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan
cheeses - heavy on the mozzarella. If you're a cheese-lover, you order double cheese. 😉
This is what I use for my standard home-made pizza. The dough recipe is from the Kitchen-Aid mixer
cookbook; the sauce is my own version. More Italian seasoning can be added to the sauce, if wanted,
but kids usually don't want it too highly spiced. (One reason, I'm sure, Kevin of 'Home Alone'
wanted a plain cheese pizza. Kids don't *want* strange foods - and *every* food is strange when
you're a kid, you're always running into weird new stuff people want you to eat. It's a pain. Kids
want something familiar.) You can adjust the cheese amounts as desired, because really, pizza is
infinitely variable; more of the toppings is always better! In America, anyway. If you want a
fancier version, just add any other cheeses you like and think will blend nicely with the rest. And
that your kids will eat.
Notes: Sorry, no metrics; I have no head for math even in US measurements.
<g>No idea if you have tomato paste available in Denmark, but it's pretty much the next step down in
concentration from tomato sauce. *Really* thick. Using sauce isn't recommended, though, unless
you have no choice; tomato paste really makes a difference in taste. If you must use the sauce,
cook it down as thick as you can get it the day before, using 2 or 3 8-oz. cans - or the
equivalent - of sauce.
The cornmeal is only to make getting the pizza out of the pan easier. I've never found it to help
much, so I skip it entirely. Frankly, what makes the durned pizza stick is the cheese running off
the sides and welding it to whatever pan it's in, not the dough clinging to the bottom of the pan!
American Cheese Pizza
Dough:
1 package dry yeast 1 cup warm water 1 tablespoon sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon solid
shortening, melted 2-1/2 to 3 cups flour few teaspoons cornmeal
Cheese topping:
About 12 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded 6 oz. Parmesan, grated
Sauce:
1 or 2 6-oz. cans tomato paste (depending on how much sauce you like on your pizza. 1 can will give
very thin coverage of one pizza; 2 cans will make enough so you don't see the dough quite so much.)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon brown sugar 2 teaspoons Italian
seasoning, or equivalent mix of marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, savory, and sage few
teaspoons water
About 3 hrs. before: Dissolve yeast in water; add sugar, salt and melted shortening. Stir in 2 cups
flour. Gradually stir in rest of flour, until dough is too stiff to add any more. Turn dough out on
floured surface and knead, adding flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough
in greased bowl; turn to ensure dough is greased on all sides. Cover and let rise in warm spot until
doubled. Punch down.
Preparing sauce: In small, heavy sauce pot, combine sauce ingredients. Add just enough water so the
sauce won't burn, and mix well. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes,
stirring frequently, to blend flavors. (Or, using a microwave-proof bowl, microwave it on high for 5
minutes.) Let cool to room temperature. Sauce should still be very thick, not runny.
Assembling pizza: Lightly grease a 14" diameter pizza pan or a large cookie sheet. Dust pan with
cornmeal. Press dough into bottom and sides of pan. (If using cookie sheet, pinch edges so they rise
up a bit, to keep filling from going over sides.) Spread sauce evenly over dough in a thin layer.
Starting with the mozzarella, sprinkle the three cheeses evenly over the pizza in alternate thin
layers, until you run out.
To bake: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Put pizza in oven; reduce heat immediately to 450 degrees
F., and bake 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden on top. (Note - pizza always seems to
cook faster than you think it will, especially those with fewer toppings. Check it after about 15
minutes, and keep checking!) Cut and serve immediately.
Monica [email hidden]
--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia Hill at [email hidden].
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
Archives: cdkitchen.comrfrOpen ↗ recipes.alastra.comrecipes.alastra.comOpen ↗