Pepperoni Pizza

Egyptians are credited with developing the art of bread making. It is therefore likely that pizza evolved from an Egyptian flat bread. Pizza, as we know it today, was created by Italians living in Napoli. They in turn may have taken the idea from the edible bread plates used in Greece. Soldiers coming home from World War II finally brought the idea to America. Penzey's pizza seasoning is the secret to the spicy sauce. If you don't own a baking stone, use perforated pizza pans for a crisp crust.

Dough

    6 cups all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    2 ½ teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 ½ cups water, warmed to 110
    ¾ cup fat-free milk, warmed to 110
    3 tablespoons olive oil

Spicy Pizza Sauce

    1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
    1 (6-ounce) can Italian tomato paste
    2 teaspoons pizza seasoning
    ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns


Toppings

    6 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
    1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    48 mini-pepperoni slices
    Freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns
    Fleur de Sel
    Olive oil in a Misto® sprayer

1.  In an extra large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk the water, milk and oil. Make a
     well in the flour, stir in liquid using your hands to mix dough
     when needed. Turn out onto a floured breadboard, knead 5
     minutes. Pour 1 teaspoon olive oil in bowl, return the dough
     to the bowl. Turn the dough once to coat with oil.

3.  Cover with a damp cloth and let dough rise for 1 hour or until       
     the dough has doubled in volume.

4.  Punch down with your fist and shape into a ball. Cut dough
     into 6 pieces. With cut side facing up, use both hands to turn
     each piece of dough "inside out" to form a ball.

5.  Place a baking stone into oven and preheat to 500 . Set out    
     two baking sheets, sprinkle liberally with fine cornmeal. Roll  
     each ball of dough out on a floured board.

6.  Roll to 8 inches in diameter for thick crust or 10 inches for a
     thinner crust. Place on baking sheet. Top with pizza sauce,
     mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices, then cheddar cheese.
     Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray or drizzle with a good
     quality olive oil.

7.  Wearing a pair of long oven mitts, use a pizza peel to lift          
     pizza off baking sheet and slide onto preheated baking stone.
      Bake each pizza for 10 minutes, remove with pizza peel.

      Makes 6 individual pizzas