Light Artichoke Pizza

I love pizza….as do most people I know.  I love that greasy stuff covered in pepperoni and covered in lava hot cheese.  It gets old though sometimes, you know?  Sometimes I want something different and that’s great because pizza is something that is great for experimentation.  There are so many different combinations of toppings that you could have a pizza night once a week and still have a lot of variety in your family menu.

Two of the most common uses for artichokes from the everyday person are dips and pizzas.  I like artichokes but really have only had them in the two aforementioned forms.  Really, I should experiment and research other ways to prepare them.  I made a pizza this time partly because I really like artichoke pizza and partly because a food-blogger friend of mine made her own version of an artichoke pizza a few weeks ago and I’ve been jonesing for one since.  See her version here.

As with all pizzas, you start with the crust.  I use the recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.  It’s an ok pizza crust recipe that is quick and easy to make.  Yes, you read that right, QUICK and EASY.  That’s a huge plus besides the fact that you can brag incessantly that you make your own pizza crust.  Oh come on, admit it, you love cementing your reputation as the family’s best and most ingenious cook over and over again.  It’s ok.  You’re among friends here.

Pizza Dough

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2-3/4 to 3-1/4 cups AP flour

1 package (2-1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees F)

2 Tblsp. cooking oil or olive oil

In a large mixing bowl combine 1-1/4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and 1/4 tsp. salt; add warm water and oil.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.  Using a wooden spoon, sitr in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total).  Divide dough in half.  Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.

Now, if you are lucky enough to have a stand mixer that comes with a dough hook, then this becomes a very fast and easy job.  Simply use the mixer on medium speed to mix in all of the flour instead of kneading the flour into the dough with your hands.  You will still need to do a little kneading with your hands, but only about 3 minutes worth so that you can achieve the desired consistency.

Let’s put the dough on the backburner for now.  We need a pizza sauce now.   I know that a white sauce or an Alfredo sauce is usually used for an artichoke pizza, but I really rather like the taste of a standard red pizza sauce for this pizza.  Now I’ve tried bottled, canned, frozen and all other pre-made pizza sauces out on the market and after all of that I really still love this homemade recipe that I concocted one evening out of desperation.

Pizza Sauce

(My Recipe)

1 can tomato sauce

2 Tblsp. red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/2 Tblsp. dried Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes before using.

Now is the time to address the pizza crust!  I prefer a really thin and crispy crust for this particular pizza (although in the grand scheme of things I typically prefer Chicago style pizza.  Don’t hate me).  So roll your dough out with a rolling pin (I’m not a dough-tosser, I have to use a rolling pin) until it is 1/4 inch thick.  And in order to get the crust properly crispy, let me introduce you to a pizza stone.

This thing is awesome!  I use it to make naan, pizza, and other quick breads.  In this case just heat your oven to 450 degrees F and heat the stone in the oven for at least 10 minutes.  When the stone is heated, remove it from the oven and carefully place the rolled out dough on top.  Work quickly with the toppings so that the stone doesn’t cool off too much.

Add about 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce to the middle of the dough and spread it out evenly leaving about an inch of dough clean around the dough.

Here are your toppings.  Add them in this order:

Minced garlic

Marinated artichokes

Mushrooms

Thinly sliced onions

Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Use as little or as much of these ingredients as you like.  Cook on the pizza stone in the oven for 15 minutes for a crispy pizza.

It’s a really good pizza.  It’s light and not at all greasy.  It’s a nice change from the heavy, pepperoni plagued pizzas I usually have stuffed in my mouth.

I usually don’t do this, but this Italian soda that I get from my heaven, Whole Foods is delicious, fruity, light, and PERFECT with this pizza.  I adored this meal (as did my family, my son horked down a whole slice of this pizza which freaked me out because he’s not even 2 yet) and I will certainly be making it again!

Thanks to FSK for the inspiration here!  Enjoy!

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