One Perfect Bite: thick-crust

Friday, March 15, 2013

Frugal Foodie Friday - Sicilian-Style Pepperoni Pizza

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's frugal Friday and this week's feature is a delicious Sicilian-style pizza that's inexpensive to prepare when all the elements used to make it are homemade. Those elements are quite easy to make, so I am including recipes for both the dough and sauce in this post as well. I had hoped to share the classic Sicilian pie with you, but the ingredients needed to make it were simply to expensive to be a frugal Friday feature. Most pizza lovers think that any square pie with a thick and chewy crust is Sicilian. Taint true McGee! A true Sicilian pie is neither saucy nor cheesy. It has a thick crust that is, instead, topped with a mixture of cooked onions and tomatoes that receive a flavor boost from melted anchovies and a healthy sprinkling of oregano. It is a real treat, but quite unlike an America pizza. The pie I'm featuring tonight is not truly Sicilian. It does have a thick square crust, but it's toppings are decidedly America. The pie is lightly covered with tomato sauce, cheese and a very small amount of pepperoni. I diced the pepperoni in an attempt to trick the eye into thinking there was more of it that was actually the case. The pie is easy to prepare and it makes a wonderful meal for those who are trying to control their food expenditures. All the recipes needed to make it are below. I hope you enjoy the pie and I also hope you'll be back this afternoon. I still have Irish recipes to share with you. In the meantime, buon appetito!

Sicilian-Style Pepperoni Pizza...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
2 pounds commercial pizza dough, at room temperature, or one batch Basic Pizza Dough (see below)
1 cup marinara sauce (see below)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 ounces sliced pepperoni (about 1/3 cup)

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Coat a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2) On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. Gently roll up onto a lightly floured rolling pin and unroll onto prepared pan. Push dough into corners.
3) Spread sauce evenly over dough to within 1/2 inch of edge. Sprinkle oregano over sauce. Scatter cheese over top. Place pepperoni slices over cheese. Bake at 500 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned on bottom. Remove from oven. Cool slightly before serving. Yield: 12 slices.

Basic Pizza Dough...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 package (2-1/4 teaspoons)dry active yeast
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1) Place water in a small bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together 2-1/2 cups of the flour, sugar and salt. Make well in center and add yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until dough comes together and forms a ball. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed. Form into a disk and place in a bowl that has been lightly coated with olive oil. Turn disk over and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
3) Remove dough from bowl and punch down. Roll out into desired shape.

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a medium-size saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, cook 1 minute, stirring so garlic does not burn. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook, with lid ajar, for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Yield: 2 cups.