The large slice of Margherita pizza on the cover was all it took to draw me in. The March 11th issue of Parade magazine was all about pizza. I’m a huge pizza fan as is my husband and we make it at home most every weekend. It’s fun and an easy way to get your entire family involved.
But before we talk pizza-making tips, Parade included a ‘Pie Personality’ quiz for us to take. According to Scott Wiener, who leads pizza tours around New York City and has observed over 14,000 pizza eaters, the way you eat your slice of pizza has something to say about you.
So, which of these four pizza-eating styles describes you?
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- The Folder: If you fold your pizza slice, you’re an on-the-go multi-tasker who eats to live. Food isn’t high on your priority list. This is definitely not me…food is very high on my priority list.
- The Pizza Surgeon: You suffer first to enjoy your treat at the end so you cut away the edges of the crust and scrape off the cheese that you save and eat last.
- The Hands-On Eater: Tradition is your style. You eat pizza cheese side up with your hands. You like to kick back and take life a bit slower.
- The Knife-and-Fork Holder: Keeping everything in order, you are scrupulously clean and focus on a single task at a time.
So what is your style when it comes to eating your pizza? I’m the hands-on-eater although my life is anything but slow…although I would like it to be.
The article in Parade titled The United States of Pizza, says that we consume three billion pies a year. What do you think is the most popular topping? If you said pepperoni, you are correct.
To make a great pizza pie at home, you’ll need a pizza stone. We use one our friend Andy gave us from Pampered Chef. It has handles on the end making it easy to get in and out of the oven. The stone pulls moisture from the dough, which helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy. Plus it keeps the pizza warm for a little while once it’s out of the oven. You might prefer a metal pan with perforations referred to as a pizza screen. Both work well. Also check out sites such as Williams-Sonoma.com and SurLaTable.com.
To cut the pizza, we use these pizza shears that I found a few years ago at Williams-Sonoma. The blades are long and cut from the edge of the pie all the way to the center. They’re unique and get the job done. A pizza wheel works well too.
When time is tight, I purchase a whole grain frozen pizza dough at Whole Foods. We keep extras in the freezer and thaw them out on the day we plan to bake the pies. Most grocery stores now carry fresh or frozen dough. If you need gluten free dough, check out Bob’s Red Mill pizza crust mix. The Parade article also shared a recipe for pizza Margherita including crust.
After pressing your dough out on the stone, add a good sauce, one that you make or your favorite store bought. Remember that the sodium level varies significantly so be a label sleuth. I like Eden’s organic pizza and pasta sauce. Nice taste and moderate sodium level.
It’s easy to find fresh mozzarella in most grocery stores and the flavor beats shreds in a bag. Add your favorite toppings and slide into a 425-degree over for about 17 minutes. We vary toppings from turkey sausage, kalamata olives, spinach and a little Parmesan cheese to the more traditional veggie pizza with fresh mozzarella and onions, peppers and spinach.
Remember, cooking times will vary with your oven as well as placement in the oven. We’ve tried various ways but usually do one pie at a time on the top shelf. Experiment and see what works best for you.
I want to hear about your best pizza recipe. Share your dough recipe or favorite toppings. What sauce does your family like best?
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