Fathers Day Pizza

Forgive me for my aloofness of late. I've been preoccupied with the babe. She's had a rash that I haven't quite figured out (we'll probably visit the doc soon) and her habits have been changing, probably because she is starting to teethe. Her sleep has been wacky and frustrating, mostly because I'm used to her sleeping through the night (don't hate me other moms of young babies!) and now she isn't. Anyway, the reality is, life happens sometimes, and although I love blogging and try to have a post every weekday, it is still a hobby and has to take the back seat sometimes. That being said, I feel like I still have things to share from last week, including a failed sewing project that took the better part of an entire day and had me really upset by the end of it. Excited!?

For today, though, I have some eye candy in the form of our Father's Day meal yesterday.

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

Remember when I posted that recipe for the breakfast cups a while back? Well this recipe is from the same vein. These little pizzas were awesome! First of all they were easy and fun to make. Second they tasted really good. We had some friends over last week and we each made our own. I even had little tiny pepperoni! You could make these up ahead of time and have them as an appetizer. I guess with the baby coming I have been thinking a lot about kid friendly food. This one will be a home run for kids. They can help, it’s just their size, and come on, what kid doesn’t love pizza. You can buy pizza dough from your local pizza joint or you can make your own. I will post an easy pizza dough recipe that I used when I made this.

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

Makes 6

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for muffin pan

• All-purpose flour, for rolling

• 1/2 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, in 6 pieces

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)

• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

• Desired toppings, such as cooked vegetables, pineapple and ham, or pepperoni

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 6-inch round. Fill each cup with 1 round, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Sprinkle each dough cup with 1 tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Add desired toppings and another tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Bake until dough is golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cups.

Basic Pizza Dough

Makes 2 pounds

Ingredients

• 2 packets (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl and brushing

• 2 teaspoons coarse salt

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface

Directions

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2. Whisk sugar, oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir until a sticky dough forms. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and brush top with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead 1 or 2 times before using.

Helpful Hint

To freeze, you can wrap the dough in plastic and freeze it in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. If you plan to use it in a recipe that calls for half a batch, divide it before freezing.