You can easily customize this recipe to your own personal taste. For example, make it whole-grain by substituting 1 cup of regular flour with whole wheat flour. Instead of cornmeal, try flax seed meal, nut meal or wheat germ. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of your favorite fresh herb or herb mix. MAKES ONE 14-INCH THICK-CRUST PIZZA, OR TWO 14-INCH THIN-CRUST PIZZAS
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope dry rapid-rise yeast
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
1. To prepare dough, add sugar to lukewarm water and stir. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and stir again until dissolved. Let the yeast mixture sit 5 minutes.
2. Using a food processor with a steel knife blade, add flour, cornmeal, oil, honey and salt; pulse off/on several times to mix. Add yeast/water mixture through feed tube while the food processor is running and allow it to “knead” for about 1 minute or until dough is smooth. Add more flour or water, if necessary, while kneading to get a smooth dough.
3. Remove dough from food processor and allow to rest 5 minutes. Spread/stretch or roll out dough on a floured surface to about 14 inches in diameter or the size of your pan. Transfer pizza dough onto a pizza screen, or to a pizza peel spread with coarse cornmeal (for easy transfer to a preheated pizza stone). Turn edges under to form a slight rim.
Kris Wetherbee is a contributing editor who wrangles her herb garden in western Oregon.
Click here for the main article, Prepare Herbal Pizza Combinations.
