California Pizzas

I love California Pizzas. I love the gourmet ingredients, the fresh flavor, the light feeling from eating them. I can't believe I haven't made these myself until now. Making these pizzas from scratch... are really the best pizzas that I've tasted... same with my hubby.

This is a great party idea or Family Home Evening idea. Make the dough that day - and let everyone make their own pizza. Yum... all I can think of all day are these pizzas.

California Pizzas

from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties

makes 6 pizzas

For the dough:

• 1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110 degrees F) water
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the toppings (select 8):

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 pound Italian Fontina, grated
• 1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced and julienned
• 1 bunch arugula, cleaned and dried
• 6 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 4 pork or turkey sausages, cooked and sliced
• 1 bunch basil leaves, cleaned and dried
• 4 garlic cloves, roasted
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Pepperoni, Salami (because my girls like meat)
• Olives (because I love olives)
  

For prep:

• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• Cornmeal

Directions

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. (You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.)

Brush the dough with olive oil and add any toppings you wish, piling them high. Drizzle each pizza with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the toppings are cooked.