Pizza is a popular and tasty dish that is made of four different components, the crust, sauce, toppings, and cheese. Although comprised of only four simple parts, the number of ways you can make pizza is nearly endless using a variety of ingredients, some pizza recipes, and your own imagination.
The Crust
All types of pizza begin with the base or the crust, which can be made from different types of flour such as white and whole wheat to create homemade dough. After rising, pizza dough is stretched, tossed, and formed into a circular shape and then baked in the oven on baking sheets or on pizza stones for an authentic tasting crust.
The Sauce
Sauce for pizza should be tomato based and then seasoned with the herbs and spices of your choice. A perfect pizza sauce is one that is just the right consistency, neither to watery nor too thick. Some people prefer a tangier sauce while others like their pizza sauce to be a bit sweeter. Experiment with varying amounts of seasonings to find the balance you prefer the most.
The Toppings
Toppings for pizza are typically a combination of vegetables and meats with mushrooms and pepperoni being at the top of the list in terms of popularity. Other toppings to consider for making the perfect pizza include artichoke hearts, black and green olives, green peppers, ground beef, hot peppers, onions, and sausage.
The Cheese
Last, but certainly not least is perhaps the absolute best part of pizza, the cheese. In a traditional sense, the cheese of choice for making pizza is most definitely mozzarella. However, you are certainly not limited this type of cheese as there are plenty of delicious varieties to choose from including Asiago, parmesan, provolone, ricotta, and Romano.
Beefy Mediterranean Pizza Recipe
What You Need
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pasta sauce
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 2 cups lettuce, shredded
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2/3 cup red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
How to Make It
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a nonstick skillet, cook the beef over medium to high heat for about 7 minutes or until it is no longer pink and cooked through. Drain the grease and place the cooked beef in a bowl.
In the skillet, add the oil and heat over medium before adding the chopped onions, minced garlic, chopped mint, cayenne pepper, and salt and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft.
Add the beef to the skillet along with the cup of pasta sauce and simmer over the lowest heat for 3 minutes.
Divide the pound of pizza into four sections. Sprinkle flour onto the counter or tabletop and roll out each section of dough into a small to medium sized circle, about 6 to 7 inches in diameter.
Place the pizza dough on the bottom of 2 greased, rimmed baking sheets. Spread the meat mixture evenly over the dough and bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
After baking, top the pizzas with the shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced onions, and chopped parsley. Set the lemon wedges on top of the pizzas for squeezing.
Serve alone or along with frozen vanilla flavored yogurt.
Serves 4.