Tess and I love making pizza on Friday nights…and hosting game nights over the holidays. The quiet energy of rolling out dough and sipping red wine is a perfect prequel to the chaotic nature of any great game night session.
This week we did just that (well, the pizza part – the games will show up in coming weeks). Spending our Friday night cooking together remotely, we each tried out a new pizza recipe from a recent NYC cookbook find – Emily: The Cookbook.
Tess’ choice was a thin-crusted and sweeter “like dessert for dinner” pizza, while mine was savory with a thick, chewy crust and all of my favorite toppings. We decided these two winners would be a perfect lineup for a game night with family or friends over the holidays (read this post for holiday-prep tips!). When things start getting competitive – no one wants to take a break for dinner. This way, you can tear a piece of whichever option you prefer and keep your head in the game.
Both are different enough to satisfy any guests’ palate – and then some! The plan is to light a fire in the hearth, toss a crisp salad, and serve buffet style. If your group is anything like ours, this is where the quiet definitely ends. So, enjoy the cooking process while you can…
Cue the games, and have fun!
Hearty Pepperoni, Mushroom, & Oregano Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 ball pizza dough
- 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and torn into 10 pieces * be generous if you like cheese
- 1 large shiitake mushroom, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 8 Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
- 16 thin slices pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees
- Let pizza dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to lose its chill.
- Lightly grease a half baking sheet and roll the dough to the edges.
- Using the back of a large spoon, spread the tomatoes on the dough. Crumble and sprinkle oregano on the tomatoes. Arrange mozzarella evenly over the top. Top with the mushroom, olives, and pepperoni.
- Slide pizza into the oven and bake 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.
- *This recipe can be doubled by rolling the dough thinner on a full baking sheet and doubling the toppings.
The Emily (Moments Way)
Ingredients
- pizza dough (see below for recipe)
- freshly grated pecorino Romano, to your preference
- 1 1/2 balls fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and torn into pieces
- 3/4 cup shredded Havarti
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
- crushed red pepper flakes
- clover honey, drizzled to your preference
- extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Make your dough ahead of time, spread on baking sheet, and let rise for at least 10 minutes.
- Once risen, sprinkle the cheeses on top of the pizza to your preference. Add the crushed red pepper (be careful, it gets spicy fast!). Add the mozzarella on last, placing evenly along the entire surface.
- Cook until golden brown on the edges, around 10-15 minutes. Remove pizza from the oven and drizzle with honey. Keep the honey out in case you want to dip as you go (and maybe some extra parmesan). Enjoy!
Moments Gluten-Free Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp Fleischmann's Yeast
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 1/4 cup Cup4Cup GF flour (or regular flour)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Fill a glass measuring cup with warm water. To the warm water, add the yeast and honey. Stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 4 minutes to make sure the yeast is alive. The yeast is done activating as soon as an inch of foamy bubbles appears on the surface.
- Place the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until the mixture starts to come together. Using a spatula, scrape any loose flour on the sides into the center of the bowl. As soon as all of the flour has been incorporated, turn the speed up to medium and mix for 8 minutes without touching it. You can stop mixing when the dough pulls away from the sides and forms into a ball.
- After the dough comes together, place it in a separate bowl that has been lightly coated in olive oil. Cover with a towel, allowing it to sit in a warm place for about 10 minutes. Knock down the dough after the time is up and toss it on your sheet pan. Roll out with a glass!
