Beer Infused Pizza Dough (with Homemade Barbecue Sauce recipe)

I have to say I am really proud to post this recipe. Last night I made a completely homemade pizza, down to the dough and sauce. When I plan the next weeks menu, I try to ask my husband what he is craving. This time he showed me a recipe for Beer Infused Pizza Dough; that used one of our favorite beers. Going a little off topic here: Recently, he has been getting me to try more craft beers. Now I am proud to say I am all about the fancy full flavor beers, and not just the big brewery beers (like coors or bud). Every week we try to find a small brewery variety pack. Just to expand our beer repertoire. I'm finding one of my favorites is Sam Adams. I started with their winter variety pack, but now since it's spring I'm going for their spring variety. My husband is proud of me whenever I just try a new beer now without even blinking. :)

Anyways, back to the pizza! Yes, this dough is made with beer, and it was the easiest dough I have ever made. Normally you have to proof the yeast, but not with this recipe. It took less than 15 minutes to mix everything together. You do have to plan for the dough to rise, so save this for a day off or weekend. One thing you want to make sure of is the temperature of the beer. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast; if it's too cold it wont wake up the yeast. I actually bought my thermometer with yeast in mind, because I always killed my yeast. Yes, I'm confessing. :/ After the dough had risen, I decided to save one of the rounds. I'm glad I did because this pizza was so good! The dough has a slightly different flavor. It has a fuller, deeper flavor than regular dough made with water. When you have the dough shaped you can use anything you want for toppings. The day before I had made homemade barbecue sauce, so we decide on BBQ Chicken Pizza. The sauce was so easy to make, and it made a lot so you can save some for later. I made the sauce extra spicy, because we looove spicy! Since the sauce was so easy I decided to include it at the bottom. ***

Seriously, this pizza was so good. It came together in no time, and I was proud that it was completely homemade. Don't be scared of making your own pizza dough. It's one of the easiest things you could do, and it tastes ten times better than any store bought dough!

That's it! So simple right?!

I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse, but the water from our faucets can get really really hot; so I didn't have to warm up the water at all. First, I left the bottle on the counter till it got to room temperature. Then I just placed the bottle into a large bowl and filled the bowl from the faucet up to the bottleneck. It didn't take more than 10 minutes for the beer to get to the perfect temperature. 

Take your time as you stretch the dough. Make sure you get out as much air as possible, otherwise you will get bubbles during baking. 

We decided to do a BBQ Chicken pizza since I had just make homemade barbecue sauce the day before. I included the recipe below! :) ***

Beer Infused Pizza Dough
adapted from Men's Journal

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting) *
1 packet instant, high active yeast
1 tablespoon fine granulated salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 bottle Sam Adams Boston Lager (warmed to 120-130º) **

*As I was making this I was thinking about trying this out with wheat flour. I haven't tried it yet, but I will be doing it soon, and will update!
**I have researched and found that some beers work, and some don't. Pretty sure it's all about trial and error. One thing I read, is that it really makes a difference if you use "active yeast" beers. There are recipes where that type of beer can substitute for the yeast. Now, I'm not so certain about that. Although I will be trying out different beers in the future.

Directions:

1. Warm the beer in a bowl of very warm, not boiling, water. If you don't have a thermometer, the beet should feel very warm to the touch.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine flour, yeast, salt, and oil. When blended, create a pile in the center.
3. When beer is warm, pour around flour pile creating a "moat". Stir with a fork until the dough is lumpy, then start kneading with hands. The dough should feel a little sticky, gradually add flour as your knead until it is just slightly tacky. Knead slowly by pressing down, folding it inside-out, and repeating.
4. Split the dough into two equal sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place in an airtight container, sprayed lightly with cooking spray. 
5. Place in a warm location (about 70-80 degrees). Should take about 1-2 hours, or until dough as doubled in size. To make sure it is ready press two fingers into dough; if indentations remain dough is ready. 
6. If you plan on using both pieces of dough immediately skip this step. If you plan on saving the second ball of dough continue to read. Take one ball and place on a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Wrap dough and place in a freezer bag. If you have a food sealer, suck out all of the air. If you don't have a food sealer, squeeze out as much air as possible. Place dough into freezer for up to 3 weeks. When ready to use dough, thaw in fridge for up to 12 hours or overnight. Half hour before use, put out onto counter top and let dough rest and get to room temperature. 
7. When ready to use dough, stretch into size of a greased cookie sheet or a pizza stone. Tips on how to stretch dough: First be patient. I start by pressing down on the dough with my finger tips to take out any air. While doing this I start to shape it into a circle; making a border around the edge. Then I think of being a DJ. Spinning the dough in a circle with one hand as I stretch it equally in a circle with the other hand going the other directions. There are great videos all over the internet with instructions on stretching dough. That's where I learned. :)
8. When in the shape and size you desire, put on all of your favorite toppings. Place pizza into a preheated 500º oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. *If using a pizza stone, place in oven while it is preheating. Be careful when removing stone as it will be very very hot. 

Makes 2 rounds of dough for 12" to 14" pizza.

***

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Magazine

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup finely chopped onions (about 3/4 of a large onion)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (I ended up adding more near the end)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon hot sauce, less or more to taste (you could use mexican hot sauce, chipotle sauce; anything you have in your cupboard)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium sized sauce pan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immediately or let cool and place in an airtight container. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Makes 3 1/2 cups. 

Skinny Pizza Pinwheels

This last week my husband came home from a year tour in Korea and in only a few days we will be making a long road trip to our new home half way across the country. So I may not be posting as much with the moving and unpacking I will be doing in the next few weeks. I will try to get on and post as much as I can. :)

I loved this recipe because it was so simple! We were going to watch a football game and I wanted to make something fast, but delicious. Very glad I found this recipe. They were done in minutes and I felt no guilt while eating them. When I find healthy game day snacks, I get very happy!

This is why seamless is better. My dough split apart and I thought keeping them in two pieces was smart, but it was not. I had to pull the pieces together, which was hard since I already put the filling on top. 

Skinny Pizza Pinwheels

dashing dish

Ingredients:

1 package reduced fat crescent rolls (seamless works best)

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1 teaspoon basil/oregano mix 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup turkey pepperonis, sliced into quarters (or mini turkey pepperoni)

1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the dough out over the prepared baking sheet, gently pulling on all four corners of the dough to stretch the dough out a bit. (If unable to find seamless, pinch seams together, keeping it as one large rectangle.)
2. In a small bowl, mix together the sauce, seasonings, pepperoni, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Spread mixture evenly out over dough, spreading evenly.
3. Starting at long end of the dough, start rolling until dough is rolls into a long skinny log. Cut into eight even rolls.
4. Arrange rolls swirl-side-up on baking sheet, if desired garnish top with cheese, and bake for 15-17 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping if desired. 

Makes 8 pinwheels.

Nutrition: (per pinwheel) Calories 120; Fat 6g; Carb 13g; Protein 5g

Cherry Tomato Focaccia

I have so many recipes stocked up to be posted, but I have been so busy lately. Or maybe it's called slacking? Not too sure, but I really need to step up my game. Feels like my spare time goes by really fast. We are starting to plan our ceremony and I find myself looking up ideas online for hours. So much to do when it comes to planning a wedding. If someone wants to do it for me I will gladly hand over the reigns. That way I can sit and make delicious focaccia bread all day! :)

Cherry Tomato Focaccia

from Simply Delicious Italian

Ingredients:

16 oz pre-made pizza dough, or homemade

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

12-16 cherry tomato, sliced

Salt and pepper

Fresh oregano to garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the pizza dough according to package directions. 
2. If homemade, work half of the olive oil into the dough as you knead. Let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. 
3. Preheat the oen to 425º. Oil a 12 inch pizza pan. 
4. Turn the dough out into a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Press the dough into the prepared pan using your fingertips. Cover with the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with remaining olive oil. 
5. Bake until the focaccia is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Garnish with the oregano.
6. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Sun-dried Tomato & Goat Cheese Herbed Pizza

Finally got my day off, and I'm spending it in the kitchen. Stocking up on some Make-ahead English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches. I am perfecting my technique so they will be even better. Today will definitely put me in a better mood to finish off this week, and this month! Next month I get a whole week with my favorite person. He is coming home on leave and I need to stock up on things he'll like and recipes I know he wants to try. I am one lucky girl because he likes to cook, maybe not as much as me, but when he gets in the kitchen it's always a fantastic meal. He is much better at just grabbing random ingredients and throwing them together. As for me, I like to follow a recipe, but I'm getting better at coming up with my own. This particular recipe was one I really wanted to try. I found a recipe kind of like the one I had in my head to help me out with the measurements, but the idea started in my little ol' brain. 

One thing about this recipe I was really excited for? I got to use my fresh herbs for the first time. I bought a pre-potted herb garden from Trader Joe's, my favorite grocery store.  Normally I am that person that kills plants, I just suck at keeping them alive. I was really nervous to start any kind of herb garden, but when I found that pot I decided to try it out. Well it's been almost 4 weeks now, and they are still thriving. I found a sweet little standing planter and replanted the herbs with some fresh potting mix. Every time I come home now I am greeted by my little herb garden! Now I am dying to get more herbs and maybe someday have a nice little garden growing in my backyard.

Brushing the entire dough, even the edges, keeps the pizza moist and gives it a beautiful golden color. Evidence below. :)

Pizza is one of the easiest meals to personalize. I didn't want to pack this pizza with toppings, but you are more than welcome to pile the cheese on, or even add any other kind of toppings you can think of!

Sun-dried Tomato & Goat Cheese Herbed Pizza 
adapted from foodnetwork magazine


Ingredients:
1 pound of refrigerated whole wheat pizza dough
olive oil
thyme, chopped
oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
2 oz crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

1. Place a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat oven to 500º.
2. Stretch pizza dough on a floured surface to desired size.
3. Remove pizza stone or sheet from oven. Carefully place dough on stone. Working quickly brush olive oil on pizza, covering it evenly, edges and all. Sprinkle with herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese.
4. Place pizza in oven and bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes. Check at 10 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. 
5. Let pizza rest for 5 minutes on stone, then cut into 8 wedges. Serve alone, or with desired side.

Serves 4

Nutrition: (2 slices) Calories 356mg; Fat 15g; Carbs 51g; Cholesterol 8mg; Fiber 8g; Protein 8g

Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes

taste of home guilt free cooking cookbook

Ingredients:

3 large tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 cup soft bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Slice tomatoes in half. Using a small spoon, remove seeds. Place tomato halves on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Combine the oil, garlic and pepper. Brush over tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil.
2. Broil about 6in from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until heath through. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over tomatoes. Broil 1-2 minutes longer or until crumbs are lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition: (1 tomato half) Calories 55; Fat 3g; Cholesterol 1mg; Sodium 64mg; Carbs 6g; Fiber 1g; Protein 2g

Skinny Chicken and Spinach Calzones

I am in my second day of a new career, and I am enjoying it! It is very different than anything I have ever done, and I am looking forward to learning everything and getting started. This is just the first week of a five week training program, which I am grateful to have. In all of the other jobs I have had, I have never had more than two days of training. Usually I have to hit the ground running. Right now I feel like I'm back in college again. It's been almost two years since I have been in any kind of class room setting, and I am realizing how much I missed school. That is odd, I know. I wouldn't mind going back to school for something. Even though I have my degree, I would still love to take a class. I would really like to take a cooking class. Just for fun, and of course to learn. :)

This recipe really caught my eye when I opened up this cookbook. Of course I love pizza, so why wouldn't I also love calzones? It's a pizza all wrapped up nice and cozy in a easy edible package. So when I saw this recipe for a quick and healthy calzone, I just had to try it out. All of the ingredients are fresh; other than the spinach, but frozen spinach is still pretty fresh. Because everything is fresh, you know what is going into it, so therefore you know how healthy it is.

The hardest part for me was working with the prepackaged dough. The recipe asks for a 10 oz can. So when I was at the store the closest can of dough I found to 10oz was the thin crust. The regular crust was closer to 12 or 13oz. I should have just used the regular. As I was rolling out the dough I was noticing that I couldn't get it to the right size without the risk of stretching the dough too thin, or ripping it. As you can see from one of my pictures below, I rolled one too thin and tried to stretch it over too much filling. It didn't ruin the taste at all, it just wasn't as pretty. So when it comes to the dough, you are more than welcome to make your own, but the pre-made dough is very easy to work with when you buy the right amount! 

The one on the top left is an example of why you shouldn't roll your dough too thin, or try to stuff too much filling. :)

Chicken and Spinach Calzones

Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cornmeal, if desired

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup pizza sauce

2 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

2 cups frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain and coarsely chopped*

3 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (2/3 cup)

1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated pizza crust

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425º. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray**. Sprinkle with cornmeal, if using.
2. Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes until no longer pink. Add onion and garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until onion is tender. 
3. Stir in pizza sauce and Romano cheese. Remove from heat; stir in spinach and mozzarella cheese. 
4. Remove pizza dough from can; do not unroll. Cut roll of dough into 4 equal portions. Press or roll each portion into 6 or 7 inch rounds.
5. Spoon 1/4 of spinach mixture onto half of each round. Fold untopped half of dough over filling; press edges together with fork to seal. Place calzones on cookie sheet; reshape into semi-circles if necessary. If desired, spray tops lightly with cooking spray.
6. Bake at 425º for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crusts are golden brown. 

Makes 4 calzones

Nutrition: (per calzones) Calories 370; Fat 9g; Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium 810mg; Carb 41g; Fiber 3g; Sugar 5g; Protein 29g

*To quickly thaw spinach, place in colander or strainer; rinse with warm water until thawed. Squeeze dry with paper towel.

**If you do not have cooking spray, olive or canola oil is a good substitute. Brush the oil on the foil with a pastry brush; also onto the calzones before placing them in the oven. It give gives the crust a good color and crunch.