Great Grandma Lepres 4th Generation Pizza Rhode Island Pizza Recipes

GRANDMA'S PIZZA

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Stir to combine, then add 1 cup water. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together into a rough ball. Continue mixing at medium-low speed until the dough forms a smooth, silky ball, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a tight ball, set in the bottom of the mixer bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough has roughly doubled in size, about an hour.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Cut the dough in half; you should have enough for two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets. You can make both pizzas now, or hold the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Lightly oil one or two 9-by-13-inch baking sheets. Add the dough and press down on it to spread it toward the edges. You won't be able to get it all the way to the edges, so spread it as much as you can without tearing. If the dough isn't stretching well, cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then stretch again.
• For the sauce: Put the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic and some salt in a blender and puree until smooth.
• For the topping: Spread the sauce all the way to the corners of the dough. Top the sauce with the mozzarella and sprinkle with black pepper and chile flakes if using. Bake until the dough is crisp and the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with the basil and some Parmesan and serve.

EASY MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush pizza shell with olive oil.
• Spread pesto sauce thoroughly over the surface of the shell, leaving the edge as a crust.
• Top with olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, wilted spinach leaves and cover with cheeses.
• Place pizza directly on oven rack for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted from centre to edge.
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

GRANDMA-STYLE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees, with rack in lower third lined with a pizza stone or baking sheet. Drizzle a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with 3 tablespoons oil. Turn dough out onto center of sheet (do not punch down). Starting in center and using both hands, press down and stretch dough outward with your fingertips, working to edges of pan in an even thickness. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled in volume, 30 to 45 minutes. (Dough should come about three-quarters up sides of sheet.)
• Lightly drizzle dough with oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake on stone until puffed and beginning to set on top, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, if using mushrooms, toss with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Remove dough from oven.
• Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce evenly over dough. Sprinkle with mozzarella, then dollop with small spoonfuls of remaining 3/4 cup sauce. Top with mushrooms, pepperoni, or both. Sprinkle with oregano. Return to oven and continue baking until crust is puffed and golden brown in places and cheese is melted and bubbly, 18 to 20 minutes more (if browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil). Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

GRANDMA-STYLE PIZZA

Steps:

• Drain one 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes and pulse tomatoes with 2 anchovies, 2 garlic cloves, 6 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/4 cup basil leaves in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth (some texture is okay); season with salt and pepper.
• Put It All Together:
• A classic Grandma-just sauce and mozzarella-flips the usual script: Add cheese before sauce. Master this basic pie and you're ready to improvise (see below for ideas).
• Classic Mozzarella Pie:
• Place a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 525° or as high as oven will go.
• Once Grandma-Style Pizza Dough has risen on baking sheet, top with 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated, and dot pie with 1 1/2 cups Fresh Tomato Pizza Sauce. Bake pie until golden brown and crisp on bottom and sides, 20-30 minutes.

GRANDMA PIZZA

Steps:

• Place potato into a large pot and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain. Mash the potato and let cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, yeast, and 2 tablespoons oil in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add water and mix on low speed until it comes together and no dry flour remains. Add the potato and increase speed to medium until dough is stretchy.
• Coat the bottom of a square, lipped baking sheet with the rest of the oil. Place the dough on the baking sheet and spread it out, edge to edge. Use cooking spray to coat plastic wrap. Cover the dough and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a cold, 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and flip the garlic until is lightly browned. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, onion powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes and combine for about 2 minutes; add sugar and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in basil. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Remove the plastic wrap and adjust the pizza dough if necessary, ensuring it fills the pan from corner to corner. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the crust using a spoon, leaving a 1-inch border. Coat the top with 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and add mozzarella cheese evenly over the entire pizza. Add more tomato sauce randomly over the pizza and add remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Return to the oven and bake until crust is well browned and cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting.

GREAT-GRANDMA LEPRE'S 4TH-GENERATION PIZZA (RHODE ISLAND PIZZA)

Steps:

• Using your hands, combine flour, shortening and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix sugar and 1/2 cup warm water.
• When completely dissolved, add yeast and allow to foam up.
• Add wet mixture into the well of dry ingredients.
• Using hands, slowly bring flour mixture into the center, combining and kneading.
• Gradually add 2 cups of lukewarm water as you continue to knead. If dough sticks to your hands, add more flour a little at a time. If it feels hard and resistant, add a little water. When this forms a ball, coat with a thin film of olive oil.
• Cover loosely with a towel and let dough rise in a warm place 2 hours.
• When risen, with dough still in the bowl, punch it in the center.
• Separate into halves, and place each half oil side down on two pizza pans or cookie sheets.
• Spread and stretch dough from the center out, being sure to leave a lip around the edge.
• Cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise another hour.
• When you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spread a thin layer of one can crushed tomatoes over the dough.
• Add salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste.
• Leave as is, or sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over tomatoes.
• Bake 15 minutes, then check using a spatula to raise pizza and peek underneath.
• Bake further until the crust is crispy and golden brown.