Vampires Beware: Garlic Pizza {Secret Recipe Club}

Each month when I get my assignment for the Secret Recipe Club I immediately start searching to pick a recipe. The following weekend I make said recipe and I am done. The rest of the month drags on until I can finally reveal who I had.  October was a bit different. I search recipes very quickly but my mind was racing about other things that needed to get done. I vowed to come back again when I had more time and could really pay attention to the task at hand.  

Well I visited a few more times but October was just a busy, busy month and most weekends I was away - most weeks I was away.  Finally about half way through the month I scheduled time.  After about a handful of recipes Mr. J was called in to make the final decision.  Of course he went savory instead of sweet.  I need to stop letting him help me pick.  

This month my blog was Renee with Kudos Kitchen by Renee.  Each recipe is posted step by step and with lots and lots of pictures.  Not only does she have a ton of recipes to pick from she is also very crafty.  I was so impressed by the different handmade products she has created.  Renee is quite talented.  She recently made these Disney glasses that would fit right in to any Disney store.  So cute!

OK so what did we pick....or Mr. J pick....well that would be Garlic Lover's Pizza.  Thinking about it now it seems perfect for October and Halloween.  

I love watching bread dough rise.   Starting small and growing in size.

Garlic Pizza

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake pizza garlic Italian

6034975

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the Crust:

• 3-1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1-1/2 tablespoons dried minced onion

Toppings:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 (or more) freshly grated garlic cloves
• 4 red ripe tomatoes
• 8 oz shredded Italian cheese blend
• dried basil and oregano
• crushed red peppers

Instructions

For the Crust:

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, starting with only 3-1/2 cups of flour. More may be necessary later.

In a small saucepan (over low heat) heat the above ingredients until the butter is just melted. Allow to cool slightly so that you can comfortably stick your finger in and not be burned.

Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients in the large bowl and mix until moistened. Stir in enough remaining flour (if needed) to form a soft but not sticky dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour). When dough has fully risen, punch down and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.

After the dough has risen, add approximately 1 tablespoon cornmeal to the surface of your baking pan and using your hands, flatten the dough out, on top of the corn meal, into whatever shape you wish.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and pre-bake the crust for approximately 15 minutes. This is a thick crust so the pre-baking of the untopped crust is definitely something you'll need to do.

After the initial pre-baking, take the crust from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Increase your oven temperature to 400 degree. Using your fingertips, lightly dimple the top of the crust to form little wells.

Using a pastry brush, and being liberal, brush the olive oil on top of the crust. Next, peel and grate the garlic and spread it over the crust, along with the olive oil.

Slice your tomatoes into 1/4" thickness. Starting with the tomatoes, arrange them on top of your crust making sure to cover as much or surface area as possible.

Next, layer on the cheese however you choose and sprinkle the top with additional basil and oregano.

Bake your pizza into the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Powered by Recipage