I personally think that making crust is the easiest part of making pizza. Feel free to disagree with me...I know that this statement does not seem immediately true. Making pizza dough, after all, involves all kinds of ingredients and mixing and kneading and letting rise...all things that do not come to mind when you think of something as "easy."
But making the dough is only the first part of putting together a pizza: now you have to choose the topping. And this is a place where it's easy to get overwhelmed. What kind of sauce? What meat? What veggies? What cheese? All these questions mean that it's quite easy to get stuck in a rut where you use the exact same pizza toppings time after time after time.
(Not that there's anything wrong with that. But isn't is nice to change things up once in awhile?)
To get creative, think of your pizza not as a single thing but rather as the delicious marriage of several different layers: crust, sauce, meat, veggies, and cheese. I'm going to give some different options for each category...when you put together your own pizza, start at the bottom and then work your way to the top. Be creative, mix and match, and don't get discouraged if every now and then your combination doesn't quite work (making mistakes is an important part of learning how to cook).
Step One: Pick a Crust.
Choose either the flax seed or classic crust from part 1.
Step Two: Sauce.
While we generally associate pizza with tomato sauce, it's not your only option. Consider trying one of these instead...
-Salsa (for the tomato flavor with an added kick)
-Pesto (either spread a thin layer of basil pesto over the crust, or mix 1/4 cup pesto with 2 tbsp sour cream for a creamier option)
-Sour cream
-Salad dressings (the creamy ones...think caesar, ranch or blue cheese)
-Alfredo (store bought, or homemade if you're feeling ambitious)
-BBQ sauce
-Hummus
-Thai peanut sauce (teriyaki or sweet chili sauces would work as well)
-Olive oil (brush lightly over the crust...try with chopped fresh herbs or garlic!)
Step Three: Toppings
As a general rule: if you can think of it, then you can put it on a pizza. So rather than list of the options for meat or veggie toppings, because that list would be infinitely long, I will advise you instead to keep your toppings limited to a particular theme. Once you've chosen your sauce, ask yourself what you would eat with that sauce in the real world. Then, put that real world combination on a pizza. Think salsa with ground beef, onions, and green peppers; caesar dressing with grilled chicken and bacon; pesto with grilled veggies...the combinations are seemingly without end.
If you've already got a topping combination that you know and love, try making little changes. If you usually use ham, try prosciutto. If you like chicken on your pizza, why not toss it in BBQ or sweet chili sauce? Love mushrooms? Try cooking them with a little bit of garlic before adding them to your pizza. Instead of just adding onions, why not caramelize them first. There are any number of small changes that you can make...be adventurous!
Step Four: Cheese
I've separated this from the section on toppings mostly for the sake of organization, because when you are thinking about what kind of toppings would fit with the sauce you have chosen cheese naturally figures into that. Don't be afraid to stray from the traditional world of mozzarella and parmesan...give gouda, crumbled blue cheese, or feta a try!
Once you've placed everything you desire on top of your pizza crust bake at 425 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until the crust is just golden. Then enjoy the deliciousness that you have created!
Don't fret if you find these suggestions a little overwhelming. To get your creative juices flowing, here are some of the pizzas that I have created recently.
And don't forget that you can always turn to the internet for help...good luck, and happy cooking!
-Salsa (for the tomato flavor with an added kick)
-Pesto (either spread a thin layer of basil pesto over the crust, or mix 1/4 cup pesto with 2 tbsp sour cream for a creamier option)
-Sour cream
-Salad dressings (the creamy ones...think caesar, ranch or blue cheese)
-Alfredo (store bought, or homemade if you're feeling ambitious)
-BBQ sauce
-Hummus
-Thai peanut sauce (teriyaki or sweet chili sauces would work as well)
-Olive oil (brush lightly over the crust...try with chopped fresh herbs or garlic!)
Step Three: Toppings
As a general rule: if you can think of it, then you can put it on a pizza. So rather than list of the options for meat or veggie toppings, because that list would be infinitely long, I will advise you instead to keep your toppings limited to a particular theme. Once you've chosen your sauce, ask yourself what you would eat with that sauce in the real world. Then, put that real world combination on a pizza. Think salsa with ground beef, onions, and green peppers; caesar dressing with grilled chicken and bacon; pesto with grilled veggies...the combinations are seemingly without end.
If you've already got a topping combination that you know and love, try making little changes. If you usually use ham, try prosciutto. If you like chicken on your pizza, why not toss it in BBQ or sweet chili sauce? Love mushrooms? Try cooking them with a little bit of garlic before adding them to your pizza. Instead of just adding onions, why not caramelize them first. There are any number of small changes that you can make...be adventurous!
Step Four: Cheese
I've separated this from the section on toppings mostly for the sake of organization, because when you are thinking about what kind of toppings would fit with the sauce you have chosen cheese naturally figures into that. Don't be afraid to stray from the traditional world of mozzarella and parmesan...give gouda, crumbled blue cheese, or feta a try!
Once you've placed everything you desire on top of your pizza crust bake at 425 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until the crust is just golden. Then enjoy the deliciousness that you have created!
Don't fret if you find these suggestions a little overwhelming. To get your creative juices flowing, here are some of the pizzas that I have created recently.
 |
| Standard pizza sauce topped with chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, mushrooms sauteed with garlic, mozzarella and parmesan, green onions. |
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| Pesto and sour cream sauce topped with prosciutto, artichokes and mushrooms sauteed with garlic and lemon, parmesan cheese. |
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| Olive oil topped with caramelized onions and fennel, mild italian sausage, prosciutto, and gouda. |
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