Dashwood Dough & Bevelander Pizza Bar

Ingredients

• FOR THE DOUGH
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1 tsp. dry active yeast
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• POSSIBLE PIZZA BAR INGREDIENTS (i.e. the toppings) - These are our favourites:
• Mozzarella cheese
• Monterey Jack dheese
• Asiago cheese
• Feta cheese
• Olives
• Artichokes
• Sardines
• Capers
• Tomato sauce )season with dry basil and oregano)
• Barbecue sauce
• Browned ground beef
• Broiled sliced chicken
• Red peppers
• Red onions
• Fresh tomatoes

Equipment

• FOR THE DOUGH
• Large bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Pastry brush
• FOR THE PIZZA BAR
• Assorted small bowls for toppings
• Cheese grater
• Frying pan (if offering ground beef)
• Broiling pan (if offering broiled chicken)
• Spatula (if offering ground beef or broiled chicken)
• Small spoons for spreading toppings
• Cookie sheet or Pizza stone
• Knife
• Pizza cutter (optional)

Here is how:

For the dough

1. Put the flour in a large bowl.
2. Add the salt and stir.
3. Make a well in the middle of the flour.
4. Pour 1 cup of water into the well.
5. Sprinkle the yeast over the water.
6. Let rest 5 minutes.
7. Mix in the flour from the edges into the water until just combined.  The dough should be a bit sticky so add more water if necessary. Do not over mix.Sprinkle a bit of flour onto your work surface and place dough on top.  Sprinkle a bit more flour and then knead dough approximately 1 minute.
8. Oil the inside of the bowl using the Olive Oil and pastry brush.  Place dough back into bowl and cover with clean towel for 90 minutes (or longer if you are out doing other things...).

In the meantime you can get the Pizza Bar put together.

Grate the cheeses, brown the meat, broil the chicken, cut up the pepper and tomatoes.  Use your imagination.  We put everything into little bowls so that it's easy to share around the table or on the counter.

1. Separate dough into the number pizzas you wish to make.  Form the dough into balls and let rest for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 500° F.
3. Pass out the pizza dough!  Each member of the family can have their own and make them right on their plate (transferring to the cooking sheet can get tricky but gives it a real rustic look! You may need two people to help lift carefully)  If you are not brave you can make them right on the baking sheet.
4. Gently stretch out the dough until you get your desired size and it is about 2mm thick in the center and a bit thick at the edges.
5. Spread on the tomato sauce and any other sauce of choice, then top as desired.
6. If making the pizzas on your plates you can preheat the pans for a few minutes it's fun to hear the dough sizzle on the sheet.
7. Put the pizzas in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes each (we can do a couple at a time) or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.  If you tap the crust it should sound hollow.
8. Transfer to a cutting board and put in the next pizzas.  We make sure to sample each other's creations that way we can discuss the best combinations and the waiting goes by a little faster.  We always make sure to put in the youngest person's pizza first...

Enjoy, share, experiment!