When I posted the pizza bagel picture on my 365 blog, a couple of you were wondering where you could find the recipe.

Normally if you’re trying to find a recipe I’ve posted, you can use the search box over there on the right, or poke through the recipes category (I even have a pizza category).  But you couldn’t find this recipe using those methods because I hadn’t posted it!

At least, not until now.

Pizza bagels are super simple to make, and they’re great for when you don’t feel like messing with making your own dough or don’t feel like heating up your oven to eleventy-billion° F.

The method is really similar to the one that I use when I make French Bread Pizza, but I thought maybe it deserved its own post.

I usually buy cheap bagels for this…the Lender’s brand from the frozen section work great.  You could make your own bagels, I suppose, but that would sort of make this recipe not quick and easy.

Heat your oven to 350° F, and place the bagel halves, cut side up, onto a baking sheet (I use the Vollrath Cookie Sheets that Cook’s Illustrated recommends.  Love, love, love!).

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the bagels.

Top with mozzarella cheese.

We like to sprinkle pizza spice onto ours at this point.  You can buy prepared pizza spice in a jar, but I usually make my own by combining oregano, basil, parsley, garlic, and some Parmesan cheese.  Use whatever you love!

You can top the cheese with pretty much anything you’d put on a regular pizza…things like pepperoni, sausage, veggies, ham and pineapple, and bacon.

Bake the bagels for about 8-10 minutes, then turn on the broiler, and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has browned a bit.

Totally delicious, totally easy.

This is kind of a non-recipe, but here are some directions that you can copy, paste, and print if you so desire.

Pizza Bagels

bagels
tomato sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
desired toppings

Heat oven to 350 F. Place bagels on an ungreased baking sheet, cut side up. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over bagels, then top with cheese and desired toppings.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is spotty brown.

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Do you have any great pizza alternatives for the dog days of summer? Share in the comments!

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Today’s 365 post: I was pretty proud of these biscuits.

Joshua’s 365 post: Captain Cook

disclosure

This is another recipe that isn’t exactly a baking recipe (maybe I should call this feature Wednesday Un-Baking for the summer!), which makes it perfect for summertime cooking. Most pizzas require such a hot oven temperature that I hate to make them in the summertime, but this recipe keeps the super-hot temperatures outside.

What follows is a combination of a Cuisine recipe and a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, although I did a few things differently than both recipes.   The end result is a pizza that’s somewhat akin to a thin-crust pizza, although the crust is a bit thicker.

For a more printer friendly version with fewer pictures, go here.

Grilled Pizza

Dough

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast

Topping

1 1/2 pounds medium plum tomatoes (5 to 6), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
1 recipe Spicy Garlic Oil(see bottom of this post for the recipe) or a thick tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
You can top your pizza with other things too…bacon, mushrooms, chopped cooked sausage, and so on.

(For food processor directions, see the very bottom of the recipe.)
For the dough, mix the water and oil together.  Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour plus the rest of the dry ingredients in mixer bowl.

Add water/oil mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, at which point it should look like this:

Add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time until the dough is thick enough to be easily kneaded. Turn it out onto a floured surface…

and knead for 3-5 minutes.

Cover with a wet towel and let rise for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, mix the tomatoes and salt together in a bowl; after about a half hour there should be a decent amount of liquid in the bowl, which you should drain off.

Mix cheeses together and make garlic oil(if you’re using tomato sauce, you don’t need to make the garlic oil).

Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide into four pieces. Form each piece into a ball, placed on floured counter and press with hand to flatten.

Let the balls rest for 10-15 minutes. This will relax the dough and make it easier to roll out. While the dough is resting, turn the grill on high heat.

After the dough has rested, roll each ball out into an 8-9 inch round that is about 1/8 inch thick.

Scrape the now-heated grill clean. Put a round of dough onto a pizza peel(or alternatively, you can use a floured rimless cookie sheet), and slide it onto the grill. If your grill is large enough and you feel so inclined, you can cook two at a time.

Cook the dough for about three minutes, checking the bottom to make sure it’s not scorching. When the bottom is nicely brown, remove it to a cookie sheet or baking peel. With the cooked side up, brush with garlic oil or thick tomato sauce, and add toppings.

Place the pizza back on the grill, close the lid and cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and the bottom crust is lightly browned. Top pizza with basil if you’re using it. Cut into slices and serve promptly.

Repeat cooking process with remaining dough rounds.

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I like to make the dough in the mixer(I usually get frustrated with making it in my food processor), but for those of you who wish to do it this way, here’s the instructions.

To make dough in food processor:
Combine dry ingredients in food processor fitted with metal blade. While the machine is running, add liquids slowly through the feed tube. Process until dough forms a ball, about 1 1/2 minutes. If dough does not form a ball, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until ball forms. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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Garlic Oil

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (4 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes(I used way less than this)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook all ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

Grilled Pizza

Dough

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast

Topping

1 1/2 pounds medium plum tomatoes (5 to 6), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 3/4 cup)
1 recipe Spicy Garlic Oil(see bottom of page for recipe)  or a thick tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
You can top your pizza with other things too…bacon, mushrooms, chopped cooked sausage, and so on.

(For food processor directions, see the very bottom of the recipe.)
1) For the dough, mix the water and oil together. Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl.

2) Add water/oil mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add more flour, a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough is thick enough to be easily kneaded.

3) Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes. Cover with a wet towel and let rise for 1 hour.

4)While the dough is rising, mix the tomatoes and salt together in a bowl; after about a half hour there should be a decent amount of liquid in the bowl, which you should drain off.

5) Mix cheeses together and make garlic oil(if you’re using tomato sauce, you don’t need to make the garlic oil).

6) Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide into four pieces. Form each piece into a ball, placed on floured counter and press with hand to flatten. Let the balls rest for 10-15 minutes. This will relax the dough and make it easier to roll out. While the dough is resting, turn the grill on high heat.

7) After the dough has rested, roll each ball out into an 8-9 inch round that is about 1/8 inch thick.

Scrape the now-heated grill clean. Put a round of dough onto a pizza peel(or alternatively, you can use a floured rimless cookie sheet), and slide it onto the grill. If your grill is large enough and you feel so inclined, you can cook two at a time.

9) Cook the dough for about three minutes, checking the bottom to make sure it’s not scorching. When the bottom is nicely brown, remove it to a cookie sheet or baking peel. With the cooked side up, brush with garlic oil or thick tomato sauce, and add toppings

10) Place the pizza back on the grill, close the lid and cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and the bottom crust is lightly browned. Top pizza with basil if you’re using it. Cut into slices and serve promptly.
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I like to make the dough in the mixer(I usually get frustrated with making it in my food processor), but for those of you who wish to do it this way, here’s the instructions.

To make dough in food processor:
Combine dry ingredients in food processor fitted with metal blade. While the machine is running, add liquids slowly through the feed tube. Process until dough forms a ball, about 1 1/2 minutes. If dough does not form a ball, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until ball forms. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

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Garlic Oil

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (4 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes(I used way less than this)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook all ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

This is yet another recipe borrowed from Cook’s Illustrated.  I found it in the big baking book they published(I got it for my birthday a few years back), and I’m pretty delighted with the recipe. I don’t do it exactly the way they said to(I didn’t want my crust to be shatteringly thin like they did), but the basics of the recipe are theirs.

This pizza is delicious, but my favorite thing about it is that the dough is supposed to be made ahead of time.  When I have to be out and about on Friday afternoons, we can still have pizza for dinner if I use this recipe.  It’s supposed to sit in the fridge overnight, but sometimes I forget to make it the night before…so, I’ve mixed it up in the morning, refrigerated it, and used it that evening with very satisfactory results.  You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 48 hours, but I’ve never managed to think quite that far ahead. Ahem.

The dough is made in the food processor and then kneaded just briefly by hand, so all you people out there with kneading phobias can probably still handle this recipe.  Incidentally, you will need a pizza stone, pizza peel, and parchment paper to make this recipe(well, I suppose you could do without the pizza peel and the parchment, but the pizza stone is non-negotiable!).

I apologize for the poor quality of some of the photos and for the fact that photos are missing for a few steps. I took the latter half of these pictures last Friday, after I ran home from taking pictures of my nephew and before I had to leave to accompany a string bass player, so I was in a bit of a hurry. I’ll try to take better pictures next time around, and I’ll update this post then.

Thin Crust Pizza

10 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 2 cups), preferably Gold Medal
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6.2 ounces water (about 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons), 100 to 105 degrees
1/4 cup olive oil(I use canola oil)

1. Mix everything but the water and oil in the bowl of the food processor(in case you were wondering, I did mix mine up after I took this picture.  It’s just that it looks sort of boring mixed up, so I thought a pre-mixing picture would be better.  Not that I overthink this type of thing.).

2. Add the water, and process until the ingredients are all combined.

3. With the lid on and the machine running, add the oil in a thin stream, and process until the oil is evenly mixed into the dough.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a couple of minutes…just until it’s smooth and even.  The food processor will have done most of the kneading for you.

5. Put the whole dough ball into a zipper bag(using one you purchased on clearance after Halloween is totally optional), and refrigerate it overnight.

7. About a half hour before you’re ready to bake the pizzas, put your baking stone into the oven and heat it to 425 degrees. While the oven is heating, take the dough out of the fridge, divide it into two balls, and let them sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up. Meanwhile, cut two squares of parchment paper about the size of your baking stone.

8. When your dough balls have lost their chill, roll them out on a lightly floured surface to about 12-14 inches in diameter(Cook’s says to do this on the parchment, but I can’t get the hang of that!). Once they’re rolled out, place them onto the pieces of parchment and use a scissors to trim the parchment around the pizza.

9. Top each with about a half cup of tomato sauce,

and sprinkle with cheese(you can add sausage or pepperoni or any other toppings you like at this point).

10. Place the pizza, parchment and all onto your pizza peel, and slide it onto the hot baking stone. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until browned.

Serve promptly, because this pizza doesn’t stay warm for long(unlike deep dish pizza).  While the second pizza is baking, we usually sit down and eat the first.  Usually by the time we polish that one off, the second one is ready to eat.

My deep-dish pizza skills are all thanks to Cook’s Illustrated…without them, I’d have had no clue how to go about making this at home. The recipe I’m going to share turns out pizzas that are very similar to the deep dish type that you’d get at Pizza Hut.

Cook’s original recipe uses the food processor to mix the dough, but I get very annoyed whenever I try to use that instead of my stand mixer(also, my food processor sounds a little wheezy when I try to make it mix stiff yeast dough). So, I do this in my stand mixer, and I just finish up the kneading on the countertop.

Also, their recipe calls for a large deep dish pan. Fortunately for me(since I don’t own one of those!), they also included directions for using two 9-inch cake pans instead. My cake pans are nothing special, but they’ve been working just fine, and I’m thrilled that I don’t have to buy(and store) an enormous deep dish pan.

It’s best to have a pizza stone for this recipe, but if you don’t, never fear…there is a workaround in the recipe. A more condensed version of this recipe(more suitable for printing) is here.

Deep Dish Pizza

Ingredients

1 medium baking potato (about 9 ounces), peeled and quartered
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 teaspoons table salt

tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings you desire

Heat 1 quart of water to boiling. Add the potato, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender.

When potato is cool, grate on the large holes of a box grater. Measure 1 cup of lightly packed potato(save any extra for another purpose).

Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, and salt in a mixer bowl.

Add warm water and two tablespoons oil(the rest is for oiling the pans), and beat for 1 minute. Add grated potato and beat for another 2-3 minutes.  Add enough remaining flour to make a manageable dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.  Place dough in a bowl, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for one hour.

Pour two tablespoons of oil into each of two round 9 inch cake pans.  Tilt the pans to ensure even oil coverage.

Punch dough down and divide in half.  Press each half into a 9 inch round, and gently place into the oiled pans.   Cook’s says to let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then pat the dough up the sides of the pan. I have never been able to do this successfully(the oil makes the dough slide right back down!), but the pizzas have been fine. I always try(see below), but the dough just ends up looking sort of messy. 

Cover the dough with a wet tea towel, and let it rise for 30 minutes, or until soft and puffy.  Meanwhile, place a pizza stone on the lower rack of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees.  If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can instead place a rimless baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven.

When the crusts have risen, poke them all over with a fork, and  place them in the oven on top of the pizza stone or baking sheet, and bake for 5-10 minutes(I usually do 10 minutes), or until lightly browned.  This will help the dough to develop some structure so that the toppings won’t make it fall and go flat.

Take the pizzas out of the oven and add tomato sauce, cheese, and desired toppings.  Bake on pizza stone or inverted baking sheet for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese melts.  I sometimes move the pizza stone to the middle rack of the oven for this, because I have problems with my crust getting too brown if I leave it near the bottom of the oven(my oven tends to be hotter at the bottom than at the top).

Move the pizzas to the top rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese turns spotty brown.  Use a knife to loosen the pizzas from the pans, and turn out onto a cutting board.  Cut into wedges and serve.

Excuse the poor lighting on this picture(can you tell I lost my natural light about halfway through the pizza-making process?  Summetime is SO much better for taking pictures of dinner recipes!)…I just wanted to include this so that you can see the nice crispy crust this recipe produces.  It really does taste just like the deep dish pizza I’ve had at pizza restaurants.

Happy pizza making!

Deep Dish Pizza

Ingredients

1 medium baking potato (about 9 ounces), peeled and quartered
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 teaspoons table salt

tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings you desire

1. Heat 1 quart of water to boiling. Add the potato, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender.
When potato is cool, grate on the large holes of a box grater. Measure 1 cup of lightly packed potato(save any extra for another purpose).

2. Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, and salt in a mixer bowl. Add warm water and two tablespoons oil(the other four tablespoons are for oiling the pans), and beat for 1 minute. Add grated potato, and beat for another 2-3 minutes. Add enough remaining flour to make a manageable dough.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Place dough in a bowl, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for one hour.

3. Pour two tablespoon of oil into each of two round 9 inch cake pans. Tilt the pans to ensure even oil coverage.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Press each half into a 9 inch round, and gently place into the oiled pans. Cook’s says to let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then pat the dough up the sides of the pan. I have never been able to do this successfully(the oil makes the dough slide right back down!), but the pizzas have been fine.

4. Cover the dough with a wet tea towel, and let it rise for 30 minutes, or until soft and puffy. Meanwhile, place a pizza stone on the lower rack of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can instead place a rimless baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven.

5. When the crusts have risen, poke them all over with a fork, and place them in the oven on top of the pizza stone or inverted baking sheet, and bake for 5-10 minutes(I usually do 10 minutes), or until lightly browned. This will help the dough to develop some structure so that the toppings won’t make it fall and go flat.

6. Take the pizzas out of the oven and add tomato sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Bake on pizza stone or baking sheet for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese melts. I sometimes move the pizza stone to the middle rack of the oven for this, because I have problems with my crust getting too brown if I leave it near the bottom of the oven(my oven tends to be hotter at the bottom than at the top).

7. Move the pizzas to the top rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese turns spotty brown. Use a knife to loosen the pizzas from the pans, and turn out onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

Since a lot of people spend a good deal of money ordering pizza, I thought it would be good to do a series of posts on how to make pizza at home. I’m hoping to write some picture filled tutorials on how to make regular pizza and deep dish pizza with yeast dough, but I’m going to start things off with a very easy pizza recipe. This one uses french bread as the crust, so you can make this even if you are categorically opposed to working with yeast.

I bake these on my pizza stone, which helps the bottom of the bread become crispy. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can bake the pizzas on a wire rack which has been set on top of a baking sheet/pan.

As with most pizzas, this is a handy thing to make if you want to use up small bits of vegetables, meats, or cheeses. And, it’s a good way to use up dry French bread(or day old French bread from the reduced rack at the grocery store).

French Bread Pizza

You will need:

French bread loaves
prepared tomato sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
whatever toppings you like

Cut the French bread loaves in half lengthwise. In order to fit these onto my baking stone, I have to cut them in half again, but if you’re just using a baking sheet, you can skip that step.

Spread them with tomato sauce. It’s good to be a little stingy here, because you’re putting tomato sauce onto a very porous surface, and if you are heavy-handed with the sauce, your pizza will be on the soggy end of things. I was a little too liberal with the tomato sauce on this particular night, so skimp more than I did in this picture:

Sprinkle the pizzas with mozzarella cheese.

And add whatever toppings you like(I did bacon and pepperoni this time).

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted.

If you like a browner topping, you can put these under the broiler for a minute or two. However, if you’re using a pizza stone, you’ll want to transfer the pizzas to a baking sheet before broiling, as a pizza stone will crack under a broiler.

Enjoy!

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You may also be interested in these posts:

How to Make French Bread

How to Knead Bread Dough