What to Serve With Parmesan Bread Bites

We like to dip these in warm pizza sauce, marinara sauce or mustard. These are the perfect appetizer with pizza, pasta or any other Italian dish.

• Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Margherita Pizza
• Pasta Primavera
• Easy Skillet Pizza

How to Make Parmesan Bread Bites

Since we’re taking some help from the store and using frozen dough, the most time consuming thing about these bread bites is waiting for the rolls to defrost! After that, it’s a quick 20 minutes from start to finish. For full recipe details see the printable recipe card down below. Here is what to expect when making these Parmesan Bread Bites.

Defrost Rolls + Cut into Smaller Pieces

Allow to defrost for about 2 hours until dough is completely thawed. Cut dough balls into two even pieces. Form into small pillow shapes, if desired. (I was too lazy to do that!)

Dip Dough in Baking Soda Solution

Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Dip dough pieces into baking soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.

Brush with Melted Butter, Spices + Cheese

Brush dough with melted butter and more baking soda solution. Sprinkle salt, pepper, parsley flakes and parmesan cheese over top.

Bake + Serve

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Serve with mustard or pizza sauce.

Storing Parmesan Bread Bites

Once completely cooled, store any remaining bread bites in an airtight bag or container. They should stay fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze these?

Yes! Place room temperature bread bites in a freezer safe, airtight container or bag. These should stay fresh in the freezer for 2 months. To thaw, allow to sit out on the counter over night or in the fridge.

Love Parmesan Bread Bites? Try These Bread Recipes…

• Focaccia
• Whole Wheat Rolls
• Homemade Garlic Bread
• Cheesy Pull Apart Garlic Bread
• Craigo’s Breadsticks

Add these tasty Parmesan Bread Bites to your dinner menu this week! They are sure to become your new favorite bread recipe. Be sure to save, print, bookmark or share this recipe. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great week, friends!

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Parmesan Bread Bites

Soft & pillow-y on the inside, buttery, golden brown on the outside & topped with parmesan cheese and parsley. Dip in pizza sauce or mustard.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword parmesan bread bites

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Defrost 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 22 minutes

Servings 12 bites

Calories 67kcal

Author Lauren

Ingredients

• 6 frozen dinner rolls
• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• 1 cup hot tap water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking soda
• salt and pepper
• parsley flakes
• parmesan cheese

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Defrost rolls for about 2 hours until dough is completely thawed. Cut dough balls into two even pieces. Form into small pillow shapes, if desired. (I was too lazy to do that!)
• Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Dip dough pieces into baking soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.
• Brush dough with melted butter and more baking soda solution. Sprinkle salt, pepper, parsley flakes and parmesan cheese over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Serve with mustard.

Nutrition

Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 532mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 29IU | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Parmesan Bread Bites appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Dear Grilled Pizza, I love you.

I’m so happy to be sharing with you my Grilled Pizza recipe today. We have been grilling pizza for years now and let me tell you, this stuff is addicting! Once you get the hang of grilling the pizza crust, the sky is the limit! Pizza in the oven is great in the winter but grilled pizza is where it’s at in the summer! Trust me when I say it will work. Trust the process and you too will be eating right alongside us. Yum yum!

A Few Notes About Pizza Dough

For all homemade pizza I make from scratch, I start with my Fail-Proof Pizza Dough recipe (a recipe on my site that has been popular for years). This recipe makes enough dough for 2 medium 12 inch pizzas. Alternatively, you might be able to find a prepared pizza dough in the frozen foods section or fresh dough in the deli/bakery at your local grocery store.

Divide that dough into manageable pieces for the grill and stretch and roll it out into the size you want. The size of your grill and/or who you’re serving will determine what size you make your pizzas. This recipe is for four individual pizzas. You can do a larger size pizza, but it can be tricky to flip.

How to Grill Pizza

Here is how I do pizza on the grill. Be sure to scroll down for some frequently asked questions answered regarding type of grill, pizza cooking too fast, and what to do if your pizza sticks to the grill.

Preheat the Grill

Preheat your grill to be about 500 degrees. I used a gas grill and paid attention to the thermometer on the lid of the grill. The grill itself will be hotter than 500 degrees, but that’s a good benchmark to look for before adding your dough.

Prep and Grill the Dough

Stretch out your pizza dough into the shape and size you want and either place or slide onto the grill, being sure to avoid known hot spots. If you want to maintain more of an exact shape, consider rolling your dough out on a pizza peel with cornmeal to prevent sticking and then sliding it off carefully onto your hot grill.

Cover and cook your crusts until they are puffed, bubbly and have grill marks and a few charred spots, about 2 minutes. It should release from the grill easily for flipping.

Add Toppings and Grill Again

Flip your pizza and quickly add sauce, cheese, and any desired toppings. Cover and cook another 2-3 minutes or until cheese has melted completely and the bottom of the crust has grill marks and a few charred spots.

Cut + Serve

Remove from grill, cut into pieces and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve had a few questions about types of grills, pizza sticking etc, so I decided it was worth sharing here.

Charcoal vs Gas Grills

I’ve made grilled pizzas on both charcoal and gas grills and the method remains the same. My only hesitation with charcoal is you can’t control the temperature quite as easily as you can with a gas grill. It’s not impossible and we definitely have had (tasty) success. Just be sure to watch your crust as is cooks. It may need a few more minutes to get that char OR it might be ready to flip after 60 seconds. Just be sure to watch it carefully as you go.

My Pizza is Cooking Too Fast!

If your pizza crust is getting crispy or charred a little too quickly, your cheese won’t melt and your crust will burn. If you see that this is happening to you, your grill is too hot. Reduce the heat or push some of the charcoal to one side to create a hot side and a cooler side. Next, once your pizza is cooked on the one side, remove it from the grill to a baking sheet, add the toppings and then slide it back on the grill to finish cooking.

My Pizza is Sticking! What Do I Do?

Don’t panic. This can happen from time to time. If you notice your pizza is sticking, leave it alone to cook and crisp up for another 30 seconds or so to see if it will release after it gets a little more charred. (It should!)

Also, keep in mind that your homemade pizza dough was coated in olive oil before being left to rise. It still should have some residual olive oil on it before it goes onto the grill. If there isn’t very much olive oil on your pizza dough, add a little extra. This will act as extra nonsticking insurance.

Pizza Toppings

When it come to toppings, any topping you would add to a baked pizza, will work on a grilled pizza. Keep in mind that because grill time is only 2-3 minutes once the toppings are added, many might still be raw when the pizza is done. Any meat you add to your pizza will need to be precooked. Vegetables will work, as long as you don’t mind them crunchy. Whatever toppings you end up choosing, go light. A topping loaded pizza will end up heavy and soggy.

Make Ahead

If time is limited, you can make and grill the crust ahead of time! Prepare the dough and grill as the directions indicate in the recipe card, grilling both sides of the crust. Place on a cooling rack and allow crusts to cool completely. When ready to grill again, add the sauce and toppings and heat on the grill until warm and melty.

Grilled Pizza Flavors to Try!

Now that you are hooked on grilling pizza, use my other pizza recipes as inspiration for your next grilled pizza concoction!

• Country BBQ Chicken Pizza – one of my favorites! Topped with chicken, BBQ sauce, fresh corn, bacon, red onion with a smoky ranch sauce after baking. HEAVEN.
• Brown Butter Chicken Alfredo Pizza – make a homemade brown butter alfredo sauce to top your pizza with and add on chicken and lots of cheese.
• Spicy Pancetta Rosemary Pizza – spicy and super flavorful thanks to lots of pancetta and fresh rosemary.
• Loaded Fajita Pizza – a Tex-Mex pizza fusion that is too good to pass up. A great summer option.

Be sure to save, bookmark or print this tutorial, and keep it handy this summer! Enjoy, friends!

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Grilled Pizza

If you love pizza, you will absolutely adore Grilled Pizza! Basically, it's all the things you love about pizza but with a crispier, chewier crust that has that amazing charred BBQ flavor.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword grilled pizza recipe, how to grill pizza

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 36 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 478kcal

Equipment

• BBQ grill

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pizza dough
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese grated
• 6 oz pepperoni
• any other desired toppings

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your grill to be about 500 degrees. I use a gas grill and pay attention to the thermometer on the lid of the grill. The grill itself will be hotter than 500 degrees, but that's a good benchmark to look for before adding your dough.
• Stretch out your pizza dough into the shape and size you want and either place or slide* onto the grill, being sure to avoid known hot spots.
  
• Cover and cook your crusts until they are puffed, bubbly and have grill marks and a few charred spots, about 2 minutes. It should release from the grill easily for flipping.
  
• Flip your pizza and quickly add sauce, cheese and any desired toppings. Cover and cook another 2-3 minutes or until cheese has melted completely and bottom of crust has grill marks and a few charred spots.
  
• Remove from grill, cut into pieces and serve.
  

Notes

*If you want to maintain more of an exact shape, consider rolling your dough out on a pizza peel with cornmeal to prevent sticking and then sliding it off carefully onto your hot grill. 

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1535mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 294mg | Iron: 3mg

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Whole Wheat Pizza Dough | A Healthier Alternative

While I love a classic pizza dough, sometimes its nice to change it up and go for a healthy alternative. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough is just that!

The main difference between Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and Regular Pizza Dough is that the whole wheat version uses a combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour whereas the regular pizza dough simply uses bread flour. Whole wheat flour adds more dietary fiber and protein and the bread flour adds that extra gluten to create that chew that all pizza crust has.

The biggest complaint people have about a whole wheat pizza crust is the taste and texture being off (read: gross). Whole wheat pizza crusts made entirely with whole wheat flour are going to be heavier and taste a little different. It’s the exact reason why I only use 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and make up the difference with bread flour. Using two kinds of flour is the key to delicious whole wheat pizza dough.

Main Ingredients Needed

You are going to need a lot of the same ingredients you’d use with classic pizza crust for this whole wheat pizza dough. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Warm Water, Yeast + Honey – these three come together to create the perfect environment for yeast to activate.
• Olive Oil – you could also use canola oil here. The main difference is the taste.
• Salt – to season the dough and add some flavor.
• Whole Wheat Flour – this flour is a whole-grain product which means it contains more dietary fiber than regular flour. This is a much healthier option that helps with digestion and gut health but, don’t worry, this dough still has a killer texture and taste.
• Bread Flour – this flour specifically has more gluten in it, yielding a chewier crust. In a pinch, you can also use all-purpose flour, but you just need to knead the dough a little longer. King Arthur Flour is my favorite bread flour.

A Note About Whole Wheat Flour

You’ll probably notice a lot of similarities between this recipe and my original pizza dough recipe. They are essentially the same, but I use less overall flour in this recipe. Why? Because whole wheat flour soaks up more water because it’s a whole grain. It’s heavier, too, so you don’t need as much overall flour. It’s also another reason why I don’t recommend using ALL whole wheat flour for your pizza dough.

Can I Use All Whole Wheat Flour?

For best results, I recommend using a combination of bread and whole wheat flour.

While you absolutely CAN use 100% whole wheat flour for this recipe, you will use about 1/4-1/2 cup less overall flour than the recipe states, simply because it’s a heavier flour and it will soak up more of the moisture in the dough (like I mentioned above). You might want to consider also adding in an extra tablespoon of olive oil to help with the texture of your dough as well.

How to Make Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

For full details on how to make whole wheat pizza dough, see the recipe card down below

1. Proof Yeast

In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit until bubbles form and the mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.

What if my yeast didn’t bloom?

If the yeast didn’t bloom (bubble or foam up) this means that your yeast is dead. This could be because it was old or because the water was too hot. To fix this, toss the yeast mixture down the drain and start again (preferably with fresh yeast and warm water).

2. Create the Dough

Pour in salt, olive oil, and all the whole wheat flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding bread flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn’t stick to your hands.

3. Knead

Once you reach this stage, knead on low for 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be mostly clean! {*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!)

4. Rise + Use as Desired

Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

Once pizza dough has risen, you can use as desired.

Can I Freeze Whole Wheat Pizza Dough?

Yes, you can freeze this whole wheat pizza dough recipe! Here’s how to do it:

Freezing Instructions

Simply follow the directions all the way stopping after you knead the dough. Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal, removing all air, and freeze for up to three months.

How to Defrost Pizza Dough

Remove from the freezer and place the frozen dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it defrost, then rise until it has doubled in size. This process can take anywhere between 3-6 hours, depending on how warm or cold your kitchen is. Once dough has risen, use as desired.

Can I Grill This Dough?

The beauty of this whole wheat dough is that you can use it however you use regular pizza dough. So, long story short, yes, you can grill this dough. Here’s my how-to on how to grill pizza!

Try These Pizzas with Whole Wheat Pizza Dough!

• Margherita Pizza
• Taco Pizza Recipe {with Doritos!}
• Country BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Chicken Alfredo Pizza
• Thai Chicken Pizza
• Spicy Pancetta Pizza

Loved this Whole Wheat Pizza Dough? Check out these other recipes:

• Whole Wheat Bread
• Whole Wheat Rolls
• Whole Wheat Baking Soda Biscuits
• Whole Wheat Freezer Rolls

So if you’re looking for a new healthier pizza dough to try, try this one! I promise it won’t dissapoint

The printable recipe card is below, enjoy!

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Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

This Whole Wheat Pizza Dough is a healthier version of my original pizza dough recipe. Use with any recipe that calls for pizza dough!

Course Breads

Cuisine Italian

Keyword whole wheat pizza dough

Prep Time 16 minutes

Rise Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 16 minutes

Servings 2 medium 12″ pizzas

Calories 788kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups bread flour give or take 1/2 cup, depending on heat and humidity

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and the mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.
  
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, pour in salt and all of the whole wheat flour and mix.
  
• Pour in olive oil and yeast mixture until well incorporated with the whole wheat flour.
  
• Once that flour is incorporated, start adding bread flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn't stick to your hands.
  
• Once you reach this stage, knead on low for 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be mostly clean!*
  
• Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
  
• Once the pizza dough has risen, you can use it as desired.**
  

Notes

*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air, and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you’d like.

**Pizza dough bakes for 9-10 minutes at 500 degrees. Alternatively, you can bake at 425 degrees for a longer period of time.

Nutrition

Calories: 788kcal | Carbohydrates: 136g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1180mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Whole Wheat Pizza Dough appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Ever since we moved out of NYC, Gordon and I have been dying to eat some amazing pizza. Since Margherita Pizza was our favorite, its the one we’ve been trying to perfect first and I’m so excited to be sharing this recipe with you today. New York knows they make pizza well and there are SO many pizzerias that have great pies. Our favorite pizzeria in the city was steps away from our last apartment and mama, was it good. So, we’ve been using our memories and tastebuds as a guide and gotten as close to the original as one can at home. I hope you come to love this recipe and become master pizza makers in the process.

But First, What is Margherita Pizza?

Margherita Pizza is not to be confused with a margarita…as in the drink. Two totally different things! The name Margherita actually comes from Italian royalty, technically Margherita of Savoy, the Queen of Italy. Word on the street is she was tired of the French food she was being served on a trip to Naples, so the most famous pizza maker of the time in Naples, was then asked to make her a pizza. And thus the Margherita Pizza was born.

There is more to the story, but that’s basically all you need to know.

Main Ingredients Needed

Here’s everything you’ll need to make Margherita Pizza. Because this is a such a simple recipe with very few ingredients, the quality of those ingredients is what is most important.

• Pizza Dough – use store-bought dough or use my original pizza dough recipe! You can also use my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe.

For the Sauce

While I tried making this recipe with just the San Marzano Tomatoes, I found adding a few simple ingredients to help bring out that tomato flavor was best.

• San Marzano Tomatoes – I chose to use San Marzano Tomatoes for their authentic quality and taste (you can read all about it here). This is the brand I used and have loved them!
• Olive Oil – to make the sauce a little saucier and to add some silkiness.
• Garlic – for flavor.
• Sugar – to cut the acidity from the tomatoes.
• Salt + Pepper – season to taste!

Toppings

A Margherita Pizza always will have fresh basil and fresh mozzarella.

• Fresh Basil Leaves – these are placed right on top of everything else (whole or sliced)! They add a fresh quality to the dish.
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – Cut into thin slices or broken into pieces to place on the pizza. BelGioioso is the brand I used and is widely available.
• Sea Salt + Olive Oil – these are optional finishing toppings for the baked pizza. While they are optional, I’d highly recommend them!

Variations

Margherita Pizza is so so so good all on it’s own, but if you are looking to spice this recipe up, feel free to use some of these ideas:

• Smoked Mozzarella: this is seriously some yummy stuff that elevates the whole dish.
• Herby Pizza Dough: consider adding Italian Seasoning (a mix of herbs) to your pizza dough, that way, even the crust is packed with flavor.
• Grill Your Pizza: have you ever tried grilling pizza before? Let me tell you it’s life-changing. Luckily for you, I have a whole how-to on grilled pizza.

How to Make Margherita Pizza

For full details on how to make Margherita Pizza, see the recipe card down below

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Pizza Stone

Move the oven rack to the very bottom of the oven. Remove any extra racks from the oven. Add pizza stone to the bottom rack and preheat the oven to as hot as it will go: usually 500-525 degrees F. Once the oven is preheated, keep the stone in there for an extra 30 minutes to ensure it is hot.

Step 2: Make the Sauce

Empty a can of tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor. Add olive oil, garlic, sugar, and salt. Pulse until mostly smooth, but still has a texture with a few small chunks.

A Note About This Fresh Pizza Sauce

The recipe for the fresh sauce makes plenty of sauce…more than you’ll need for this recipe. Store extras in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to two months.

Step 3: Prep Mozzarella and Basil

Cut mozzarella into small cubes. Press between paper towels to remove any extra moisture. Set aside. Pick fresh basil leaves off stems and set aside or chop into smaller pieces.

Step 5: Form Your Pizzas

Stretch and roll pizza dough out to be 4 individual pizzas, or 2-12 inch pizzas. You want the crust to be about 1/4 inch straight across, with an optional thicker edge. It may take a few tries to get your crust perfect. Too thin and you’ll have a hard time getting the bottom crispy, especially if there is too much sauce.

Transferring that Pizza onto the Hot Stone

Use extra flour and cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking to pizza peel/cutting board/plate/whatever you’re using to transfer the pizza directly onto the hot stone. Before you start adding the pizza toppings, shake the pizza peel gently to ensure the dough moves easily back and forth. If it’s stuck, add more flour and/or cornmeal underneath so it slides easily. Here is a great pizza peel that works perfectly.

Step 6: Bake

Add a thin layer of pizza sauce to the dough (less is more). Again, you’ll have to test this out to see what you like best and how it bakes up for you with your oven and pizza stone.

Top with fresh mozzarella and transfer to the hot pizza stone. Bake until bottom crust is browned and crispy and cheese is hot and bubbly. For us, that was 7 minutes exactly.

Step 7: Cool, Garnish and Serve!

Remove hot pizza off the stone and onto a cutting board. Top with fresh basil, a small little drizzle of olive oil, and a light sprinkling of sea salt. I used Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and they really did such a nice job! Do not use table salt..it won’t give you the same taste or effect. Cut and serve immediately.

While I still miss the classic Margherita Pizza slices I used to get weekly from the corner pizzeria shop in NYC, this is a close second. Use my directions to make some of the best homemade pizza ever.

Helpful Tools for Homemade Pizza

Pizza Stone. Take your pizza to the next level with a pizza stone! If you want that delicious crispy bottom you find at pizzerias, a pizza stone is the way to do it. This is the one I recommend. If you don’t have a pizza stone or don’t want to invest in one, consider getting large tiles from the hardware store. They work just the same. Upside down cookie sheets will also work in a pinch, but not in the same way because they don’t hold their heat quite as well as a thicker stone would.

Pizza Peel. This will make transferring pizza to the hot stone so much easier! Yes, you can absolutely get by without it, but one you have it you’ll wonder why you didn’t get one sooner. This is the one I recommend. Alternately, use a large, flat plate dusted with cornmeal for easy transferring. Once the pizza is baked, use a large spatula to remove to a cutting board.

Pizza Cutter. This obviously makes cutting pizza so much easier. Again, you don’t HAVE to get one to have success. It’s just nice to have. This is the one I recommend. Alternately, use a knife or kitchen shears.

More Italian Dishes to Try!

Be sure to check out these other Italian dishes too!

• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Creamy Sausage Kale Soup
• Bruschetta Chicken
• Caprese Salad with Garlic Balsamic Dressing

The printable recipe card is down below! Save it because it’s a good one

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Margherita Pizza

Homemade pizza crust topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, sea salt and olive oil. This is the ultimate Margherita Pizza recipe!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword margherita pizza, margherita pizza recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 547kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pound pizza dough

For the Sauce*

• 28 oz can San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

For the Pizza

• 12 fresh basil leaves whole or chopped
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cut into cubes
• coarse sea salt + olive oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Move oven rack to the bottom of the oven. Remove any extra racks from the oven. Add pizza stone to the bottom rack and preheat oven to 525 degrees or as high as it will go. Once oven is preheated, keep stone in there an extra 30 minutes to ensure it is hot.

Make the Sauce

• To make the sauce, empty can of tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor. Add olive oil, garlic, sugar and salt. Pulse until mostly smooth, but still has texture with a few small chunks.
  
• Cut mozzarella into small cubes. Press between paper towels to remove any extra moisture. Set aside. Pick fresh basil leaves off stems and set aside or chop into smaller pieces.
  

Form the Pizzas

• Stretch pizza dough out to be 4 individual pizzas, or 2-12 inch pizzas. You want the crust to be about 1/4 inch straight across, with an optional thicker edge. It may take a few tries to get your crust perfect. Too thin and you'll have a hard time getting the bottom crispy, especially if there is too much sauce. Use extra flour and cornmeal to keep dough from sticking to pizza peel/cutting board/plate/whatever you're using to transfer the pizza directly onto the hot stone.

  Before you start adding the pizza toppings, shake the pizza peel gently to ensure the dough moves easily back and forth. If it's stuck, add more flour and/or cornmeal underneath so it slides easily.
  
• Add a thin layer of pizza sauce to the dough (less is more).
  

Bake

• Top with fresh mozzarella and transfer to the hot pizza stone. Bake 7 minutes or until bottom crust is browned and crispy and cheese is hot and bubbly.
  
• Remove hot pizza off the stone and onto a cutting board. Top with fresh basil, a small little drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt. Cut and serve.
  

Notes

*The recipe for the fresh sauce makes plenty of sauce…more than you’ll need for this recipe. Store extras in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to two months.

*If your oven only goes to 500 degrees, you’ll want to bake your pizza for a few extra minutes to make sure the bottom gets plenty crusty. Of course check the progress as you go since every oven is different.

*If your crust it too thin, it won’t get very crispy because of the sauce and moisture in the cheese. It’s better to err on the side of thicker than thinner.

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 1438mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 873IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 357mg | Iron: 6mg

The post Margherita Pizza appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Taco Pizza | Taco Tuesday and Pizza Friday Unite!

I am in love with this Taco Pizza and I don’t care who knows it! While I have been making this version of pizza for a while, it’s lived on my site for a long time!

To make this (or any other pizza) I used my Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe, threw on some taco toppings {basically, everything Mexican-ish taken from my fridge} and baked it up. I added lots of fresh veggies overtop to give it that Taco Salad feel and served. I love fresh and cold ingredients on top of a piping hot pizza!! And Doritos. That was a little unexpected twist that I now am head over heels for. Who knew Doritos on a pizza would be so amazing. Um, I did. Obviously.

Anyways, this is our new favorite pizza and have a feeling it might be yours too

Main Ingredients Needed

Just a few ingredients are needed to start this Taco Pizza! Use what you have on hand and it’ll be just as tasty.

• Pizza Dough – buy store-bought or make pizza dough yourself (try my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough for a healthier option)!
• Mild Southwest Salsa – this is what I used but if you have a favorite salsa, use that!
• Mozzarella + Cheddar Cheese – both are used for creaminess and flavor.
• Black Beans – these are full of fiber and super yummy! Feel free to replace it with pinto beans if you like those better.
• Taco Meat – I use turkey taco meat but you can replace ground turkey with ground beef. I also have a great chicken taco meat recipe too.

Popular Taco Pizza Toppings

Next comes all of the toppings! Two I would say are non-negotiable, but everything else is optional

• Doritos: Nacho Cheese Doritos to be exact. These complete the taco experience and bring such a yummy crunch to the whole thing.
• Bolthouse Cilantro Avocado Dressing: I LOVE this dressing. It’s light, creamy, and perfectly complements the pizza.
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Avocado
• Lime Juice
• Sour Cream

How to Make Taco Pizza

There’s not much to making this Taco Pizza recipe. Prep for the oven, bake and prepare toppings then once the pizza is ready load on the toppings and serve! For full details, including increments, see the recipe card down below.

Step 1: Prep + Make Your Taco Pizza!

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Spread out pizza dough to cover pan.

Spread salsa overtop. Sprinkle with beans, taco meat, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses.

Step 2: Bake and Prepare Toppings

Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the bottom of the crust is golden brown.

While pizza is cooking, dice tomatoes, and chop lettuce.

Step 3: Top and Serve!

Remove from oven and top with any desired toppings, such as lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and Doritos.

Cut into squares and serve.

Related Recipes to Try!

• Dorito Taco Salad Recipe
• Southwest Salad with Garlic Lime Dressing
• Breakfast Tacos
• Turkey Taco Meat

Pin it, print it, bookmark this page! Taco Pizza is so worth the time and effort I promise you, your family will love it.

The printable recipe card is below, enjoy

Print

Taco Pizza

Taco Salad Pizza is super tasty and surprisingly healthy! I especially love the little crunch you get from the crushed Doritos.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Taco Pizza

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 560kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1 cup mild southwest salsa
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
• 1/2 cup black beans 1 can, drained
• 1/2 pound taco meat I used turkey
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated

any desired toppings:

• 1 1/2 cups iceberg lettuce shredded
• 2 whole roma tomatoes diced
• cilantro
• 1 cup Doritos crushed
• Bolthouse cilantro avocado dressing

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Spread out pizza dough to cover pan.
  
• Spread salsa overtop. Sprinkle with beans, taco meat, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.
  
• Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and bottom of crush is golden brown.
  
• While pizza is cooking, dice tomatoes and chop lettuce.
  
• Remove from oven and top with any desired toppings, such as lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro and Doritos.
  
• Cut into squares and serve.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 645IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Taco Pizza Recipe {with Doritos!} appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

BBQ Chicken Pizza | Ultimate Pizza Friday

The Pizza Friday tradition rages on with Ultimate BBQ Chicken Pizza. I wasn’t going to post this recipe… but then I put this picture on Instagram last Friday and everyone wanted the recipe. I thought this pizza was pretty common-place {?!} but apparently not.

I’m not sure any of these toppings qualify this pizza as groundbreaking, but the combination is what makes this so darn good! Especially that blue cheese.

Main Ingredients Needed

So, this is my *loose* recipe for BBQ Chicken pizza. I guessed at the amounts because I make this so frequently that I don’t measure. Plus, as I mentioned above, I wasn’t planning on sharing this recipe. We like a lot of toppings and that is seriously what makes this pizza so amazing.

What makes this pizza so special:

• Pizza Dough – use store-bought dough or make my super easy homemade pizza dough.
• BBQ Sauce – for best results, use your favorite BBQ sauce!
• Cheddar + Mozzarella + Blue Cheese – I use a mixture of cheeses to create wonderful flavor! Feel free to switch it up with whatever you have on hand.
• Grilled Chicken – whether you use leftover grilled chicken or make it fresh, this pizza is killer.
• Red Onion – I know some people don’t like the taste of red onions, if so just leave them out or switch to yellow onions.
• Pineapple – again, a highly controversial pizza topping, add it if you like it, leave it out if you don’t.
• Bacon – you can’t go wrong with bacon! Use store-bought bacon bits for a faster recipe.
• Cilantro – this is an optional garnish that adds color and good flavor.

How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza | Directions

Anyways, as I said, this wasn’t planned on being shared, but here she blows. It’s really the best BBQ chicken pizza I’ve had…mainly because I’ve adapted it to our liking. Here’s how to make it:

Step 1: Dough and Toppings

Spread pizza dough onto a lightly greased half sheet pan. Spread with your favorite BBQ sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. Then sprinkle toppings over top.

Step 2: Bake!

Bake until crust is golden and cheese is hot and bubbly.

Step 3: Garnish and Serve

Remove from oven and top with cilantro. Cool 5 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

Using the oven is great for making pizza year-round, but when summer comes a-knocking bust out the grill for some delicious flavor! Grilling pizza is actually really easy to do and you can find my complete how-to here. To make grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza, adjust the toppings to your liking and enjoy!

The flavors from the toppings are perfectly paired with the grilled dough. Barbecue and grilling go hand-in-hand, perfect for summer evenings!

Related Recipes to Try!

• BBQ Chicken Nachos
• Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sliders
• BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad (Copycat Recipe)
• BBQ Turkey Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
• Easy How to Grill Pizza Tutorial

The printable recipe card is below, enjoy!

Print

Ultimate BBQ Chicken Pizza

This BBQ Chicken Pizza is the ultimate pizza of the BBQ chicken world. Load on yummy toppings and bake in a really hot oven. Voila!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ chicken pizza, bbq chicken pizza recipe, chicken pizza

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 515kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pizza dough
• 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce your favorite kind
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1 leftover grilled BBQ chicken diced
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits drained
• 1/2 small red onion sliced into rings
• 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
• 3 tablespoons blue cheese crumbled
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
• cilantro for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Spread pizza dough onto a lightly greased half sheet pan. Spread with BBQ sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. Then sprinkle toppings overtop.
• Bake at 500 degrees for 8 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese it hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with cilantro. Cool 5 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 515kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 972mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 460IU | Vitamin C: 5.7mg | Calcium: 299mg | Iron: 1.1mg

The post BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Let’s talk about how to make Pizza Dough…

Are you all addicted to pizza as much as I am? I’m addicted to a lot of things, but pizza would be close to the top of my list. It’s just so addicting! I can’t help myself.

If you can learn to make it perfectly at home, it’s not only cheaper, it’s healthier!

Well, it CAN be healthier if you put in the effort….which I did not do this time around…oops.

The hardest part in pizza making is the crust. I’ve been making my own crust for years but I could never get it just right. It was never chewy and/or crispy enough. And yeast doughs can be finicky. Stupid yeast. But guess what! I recently perfected my crust, getting it up to par with the pizza restaurants. Forreals. I did lots of research and lots of testing and here is the ultimate recipe.

Here are the details of my pizza dough recipe that you are going to want to know:

1. Use warm water – not hot, not cold. Pleasantly warm. Yeast likes warmth. And I don’t ever use a thermometer because thermometers are annoying for this kind of stuff. Don’t over think this step. If it feels nice and warm like baby bath water, then you’re good.
2. Use honey – I seem to get better results with honey. I don’t know why. You can use sugar if you prefer.
3. Bread Flour – you must must must use bread flour. Bread flour means more gluten. More gluten means chewy crust. Chewy crust = good. The end.
4. Knead, knead, knead – Kneading means gluten! And we all know what gluten means. Knead your dough for 6 minutes pretty please.
5. Use a Pizza Stone – Put it in your cold oven, and then crank that baby up to the hottest temperature it will go to. For me, it was 500 degrees. That will really give you a crispy bottom like you get at the restaurants. {If you don’t have a pizza stone, look for my trick below!}

That’s pretty much it.

In case you got lost in that last paragraph, there are some easy to follow step by step instructions below. I promise it’s not as daunting as it may seem!

I turned my pizza dough into delicious Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks. Buttery, salty, cheesy, garlic-y goodness. 9 minutes in a hot oven and these bubbly bites come out ready to be eaten. And made our kitchen smell divine. Give them a whirl this weekend!

How to Make Pizza Dough

In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn’t stick to your hands.

Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. It should look something like this when it’s done!

{Recipe Update: If you’re leery of turning your mixer on high for kneading, simply turn it down to level 3 or 4 and knead for the 6 minutes. Should still do the trick without walking off your counter.}

The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!

Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. That’s it!

Now you can turn this dough into anything your little heart desires.

Print

The Best Pizza Dough Recipe Ever

Homemade pizza has never been easier with this simple Pizza Dough Recipe! Easy to follow, minimal ingredients required and always delicious.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword homemade pizza dough, how to make pizza dough, pizza dough, pizza dough recipe

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 9 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 9 minutes

Servings 2 medium 12" pizzas

Calories 876kcal

Author Lauren's Latest

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 3 cups bread flour give or take 1/2 cup...depending on the heat & humidity

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pizza dough instructions-

• In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.
  
• Pour in salt, olive oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn't stick to your hands.
  
• Once you reach this stage, knead on low for 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be mostly clean! {*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air, and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you'd like.} 
  
• Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
  
• Once pizza dough has risen, you can use as desired.
  

Video

Notes

For Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. {If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside-down cookie sheet…a tip I got from Natalie!}
2. Mix 2 tbsp salted butter and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}
4. Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with 1/4 cup parmesan and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. {That step is totally optional!}
5. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.

Nutrition

Calories: 876kcal | Carbohydrates: 150g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1180mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

Other recipes you might like:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Brown Butter Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Pull Apart Pizza

Thai Chicken Pizza

The post How to Make Pizza Dough appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Actually Amazing Homemade Pizza Dough

The hardest part of pizza making at home is the crust. I’ve been making my own pizza dough for years but I could never get it just right. It was never chewy and/or crispy enough. But after lots of testing and switching over to bread flour, I recently perfected my crust, getting it up to par with the pizza restaurants. I did lots of research and lots of testing and I’m so happy to share this Pizza Dough Recipe with you today!

If you’re looking for a whole wheat option try my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe!

Main Ingredients Needed

Ok, friends, here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to make the best homemade pizza dough ever. Nothing crazy or out of the ordinary:

• Warm Water – warm water helps the yeast bloom faster. But if the water is too hot it can kill the yeast. So be careful!
• Yeast – fast acting or regular old active dry yeast is fine! This makes the pizza dough rise. This is my favorite brand.
• Honey – to help activate the yeast. You can use granulated sugar in a pinch.
• Salt – to season the dough.
• Olive Oil – or canola oil. The difference is the taste.
• Bread Flour – this flour specifically has more gluten in it, yielding a chewier crust.

What Kind of Flour Do You Need For Pizza Dough?

For homemade breads, I always suggest using Bread Flour. Bread Flour has higher gluten content (12-14%) which gives you that chewy texture you want for a Ciabatta, French Bread or Pizza Dough. Kneading the dough develops gluten as you go, but starting with a flour that has a higher gluten to begin with is the trick for pizza dough that is just like the kinds you’d buy from the store or get at a restaurant. King Arthur Flour is my favorite bread flour.

In a pinch, you can absolutely use all-purpose flour which has a lower gluten content (8-11%), so the results won’t be quite as chewy but (pro tip!) if you knead the dough a little longer, you can develop more gluten and make it work. If you don’t have bread flour, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe. It will absolutely work with all purpose.

How to Make Pizza Dough

Step 1: Proof the Yeast

In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.

Step 2: Stir in Flour, Salt & Olive Oil

With the mixer on low, add in salt, oil and half the flour.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn’t stick to your hands. The dough should also be cleaning the sides of the bowl but still sticking to the bottom. This is normal!

Step 3: Knead

Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on a low to medium speed to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!

Step 4: Rise

Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours or until it’s doubled in size. That’s it!

Now you can turn this dough into anything your little heart desires (maybe try grilling your pizza). To spread the dough you can use a rolling pin but I always just use my hands!

My Pizza Dough Won’t Stretch. What Do I Do?

Forming, rolling and stretching your pizza dough into round pizzas shouldn’t be hard! I have found two main reasons why it can sometimes be difficult:

• You’ve kneaded too much flour into the dough, thus creating a dry dough making it difficult to rise and form into pizza crusts
• If you haven’t let your pizza dough rest long enough after kneading, the gluten won’t have relaxed, thus making it hard to roll out or stretch into a thin pizza crust.

Solutions? There isn’t much you can do about dry dough. It’s so difficult to knead liquid into already dry dough, so be sure to be careful when kneading flour into it initially. Better to err on the side of sticky dough than too dry if you’re worried. You can always knead more flour into your pizza dough. If it keeps shrinking as you’re trying to roll it out, try letting your dough sit and rest a little longer to let that gluten relax.

So, How Do You Form Pizza Dough into Pizzas?

Your pizza dough should be easy to work with and be easily pressed out and formed into round pizzas. You can either use a rolling pin, use your fingers to stretch and press out the dough into a round shape or you can try tossing the pizza dough up in the air (like they do at those old school pizzerias) and use the back of your hands (think loose fists) to stretch the dough into shape.

Tips and Tricks For Amazing Homemade Pizza

Here are the details of my pizza dough recipe that you are going to want to know:

• Use Warm Water – not hot, not cold. Pleasantly warm. Yeast likes warmth. Don’t overthink this step. If it feels nice and warm like baby bathwater, then you’re good. I don’t ever use a thermometer because thermometers are annoying for this kind of stuff. (If you’re into thermometers, 105 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Use Honey – I seem to get better results with honey. I don’t know why. You can use sugar if you prefer.
• Bread Flour – you must must must use bread flour. Bread flour means more gluten. More gluten means chewy crust. Chewy crust = good. The end.
• Knead, Knead, Knead – Kneading means gluten! And we all know what gluten means. Knead your dough for 6 minutes pretty please.
• Use a Pizza Stone – This is a great pizza stone. Put it in your cold oven, and then crank that baby up to the hottest temperature it will go to. For me, it was 500 degrees. Let the stone preheat in that extremely hot oven for at least 30 minutes before using. That will really give you a crispy bottom like you get at the restaurants. If you don’t have a pizza stone use an upside-down cookie sheet.

That’s pretty much it!

Can I Freeze Pizza Dough?

Yes(!!!) you can freeze this pizza dough recipe to save it for later. And it’s the perfect recipe to do this because it makes two 12″ medium pizzas! Use half now and the rest later.

To Freeze: Simply follow the directions all the way stopping after you knead the dough for 6 minutes. This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal, removing all air, and freeze for up to three months.

To Use: Remove from the freezer and place the frozen dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it defrost, then rise until it has doubled in size; 6 hours or so, depending how warm or cold your kitchen is. Then use it as you’d like.

Make-Ahead

If you aren’t interested in freezing your dough but still want to prepare it ahead of time, you can! Follow the directions all the way through and then cover and refrigerate for up to three days. Letting your pizza dough sit in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours really develops that delicious yeasty flavor. Not a necessary step but a delicious one. Next time you make pizza dough, give this a try! It’s tasty

How to Make Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks From Pizza Dough

I turned my pizza dough recipe into delicious Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks. Buttery, salty, cheesy, garlic-y goodness. 9 minutes in a hot oven and these bubbly bites come out ready to be eaten. And made our kitchen smell divine. Give them a whirl this weekend! (Recipe is found in the pizza dough recipe card down below in the notes section.)

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. {If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside-down cookie sheet…a tip I got from Natalie!}
2. Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}
4. Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. {That step is totally optional!}
5. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.

Need More Pizza Recipe Ideas?

I’ve got you covered, check out all of my pizza recipes here! Or just click on some of my favorites below

• Margherita Pizza
• Chicken Alfredo Pizza
• Country BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Pesto Pizza
• Mediterranean Pizza

Be sure to save/print/bookmark this recipe, it’s a good one!

The printable recipe card is below, enjoy

Print

The Best Pizza Dough Recipe Ever

Homemade pizza has never been easier with this simple Pizza Dough Recipe! Easy to follow, minimal ingredients required and always delicious.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword homemade pizza dough, how to make pizza dough, pizza dough, pizza dough recipe

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 9 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 9 minutes

Servings 2 medium 12″ pizzas

Calories 876kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 3 cups bread flour give or take 1/2 cup…depending on the heat & humidity

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Pizza dough instructions-

• In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.
  
• Pour in salt, olive oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn't stick to your hands.
  
• Once you reach this stage, knead on low for 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be mostly clean! {*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air, and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you'd like.} 
  
• Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
  
• Once pizza dough has risen, you can use as desired.
  

Video

Notes

For Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. {If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside-down cookie sheet…a tip I got from Natalie!}
2. Mix 2 tbsp salted butter and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}
4. Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with 1/4 cup parmesan and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. {That step is totally optional!}
5. Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.

Nutrition

Calories: 876kcal | Carbohydrates: 150g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1180mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

The post The Best Pizza Dough Recipe Ever appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

BBQ Chicken Pizza | Copycat Recipe

Get ready to add another recipe to your Pizza Friday repertoire, Country BBQ Chicken Pizza!! Get those fat pants on because I got a good one today. Remember when I was in the middle of my move and I was driving across the country and I shared a photo of a pizza I ate when I got to Salt Lake? I vowed I would create a copycat and you guys, I did it. (I might even say my version is better. Wayyyyyy better. I’m so….humble.)

Main Ingredients

I am hopeful that you will be converted to my Country BBQ Chicken Pizza ways. I promise this one will not disappoint!!

• Pizza Dough – use store-bought dough or use my super easy Homemade Pizza Dough or Whole Wheat Pizza Dough.
• BBQ Sauce – I highly recommend using Sweet Baby Ray’s for this recipe. But if you have a BBQ sauce you already have and love it’s ok to use that instead.
• Mozzarella Cheese – a light cheese to complement all the other flavors happening.
• Corn – I loved getting those little pops of corn in each bite. So so good!
• Red Onion – love this too (!) but if you don’t like red onions you can replace them with regular onions.
• Bacon – bacon bits bought from the store work wonders for this recipe. Or you could use the oven method for perfectly cooked bacon.
• Rotisserie Chicken – rotisserie chicken tastes the best on this recipe, so just grab a precooked chicken from the deli on your way home from work. And then make this recipe with the remaining chicken. At least that’s what I did.
• Cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, you can totally leave it out, though I LOVE it on a BBQ chicken pizza. I think it totally belongs. You do you.

Smokey Ranch

There are a couple of things that set this recipe apart from my Ultimate BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe and one of which is this homemade smokey ranch. Perfectly creamy that complements the smokiness. To make it you’ll need:

• Ranch Dressing – just regular ol’ ranch dressing here.
• Smoked Paprika – this is the main ingredient that makes it smokey!
• Milk Green Chiles – and this gives the sauce a little heat.

BBQ Chicken Pizza FAQ’s

(some affiliate links below)

How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza

To make this  BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe you can either bake in the oven or grill outside! Here is my how-to on grilling pizza and down below are instructions for baking in the oven.

Step 1: Preheating the Oven

Preheat oven. Place a pizza stone (or upside-down cookie sheet) inside the oven to preheat. Arrange racks so pizza will cook in the bottom 2/3rds of the oven.

Step 2: Dough and Toppings

Lightly spray a piece of parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray. Form half of the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle on greased parchment paper. Spread on half of the BBQ sauce and cover with half of the mozzarella cheese (8 oz.), reserving 1/4 cup. Spread with half of the corn, half of the onion slices, half of the bacon, and half of the chicken. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Repeat steps above to create a second pizza.

Step 3: Baking and Smokey Ranch

Slide pizza onto the preheated stone using the parchment paper and bake. Your pizza will be finished cooking when the cheese looks melty and the edges start to brown. Remove from the oven.

While pizza is cooking, make the smokey ranch: in a food chopper or high powdered blender, add ranch dressing, green chiles and smoked paprika and blitz until completely smooth.

Step 4: Serve!

Drizzle sauce evenly and top with chopped cilantro. Cut and serve immediately.

Come to mama!

More BBQ Recipes to Try!

• Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
• BBQ Chicken Nachos Recipe
• Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sliders
• Honey BBQ Chicken Bites
• CPK BBQ Chicken Salad (Copycat Recipe)

Check out these other amazing recipes and let me know how it goes.

The printable recipe card is below, enjoy!

Print

Country BBQ Chicken Pizza

Country BBQ Chicken Pizza is made with smokey ranch, bacon, corn, chicken, red onion and sweet baby ray's! There is no pizza better than this one!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ chicken pizza, bbq chicken pizza recipe, chicken pizza

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 16 slices

Calories 248kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 1 lb. homemade pizza dough
• 2/3 cup BBQ sauce recommended: Sweet Baby Ray’s
• 16 oz. grated mozzarella cheese divided
• 1 large ear of corn kernels cut off
• 1/4 red onion sliced thin
• 6 slices precooked bacon chopped into pieces
• 1 breast of rotisserie chicken shredded

for the smokey ranch sauce:

• 1/2 cup ranch dressing recommended: bolthouse farms yogurt ranch
• 2.25 oz. mild green chiles about half a small can
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone (or upside down cookie sheet) inside oven to preheat. Arrange racks so pizza will cook in the bottom 2/3rds of the oven.
• Lightly spray a piece of parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray. Form half of the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle on greased parchment paper. Spread on half of the BBQ sauce and cover with half of the mozzarella cheese (8 oz.), reserving 1/4 cup. Spread with half of the corn, half of the onion slices, half of the bacon and half of the chicken. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup of cheese.
• Repeat steps above to create second pizza.**
• Slide pizza onto preheated stone using the parchment paper and cook 5-12 minutes, oven depending. Your pizza will be finished cooking when the cheese looks melty and the edges start to brown. Remove from oven.
• While pizza is cooking, make the smokey ranch: in a food chopper or high powdered blender, add ranch dressing, green chiles and smoked paprika and blitz until completely smooth. 
• Drizzle sauce evenly over each hot pizza and top with chopped cilantro. Cut and serve immediately.

Notes

**this recipe will make 2-12 inch pizzas or one large 18 inch pizza. Both work using my homemade pizza dough recipe Just remember to preheat your pizza stone or pizza pan or cookie sheet in the oven to create that crispy bottom crust.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 655mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 1mg

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But First, What is Stromboli?

Now, do you know what Stromboli is? I was first introduced to this magnificent appetizer when I worked as a server at Boston Pizza. They had these on the menu {along with these} and I became obsessed with them. SO yummy and one of the most popular items on the menu.

In a nutshell, stromboli is basically a pizza roll. You roll the pizza dough out into a rectangle, cover with sauce, top with meat and cheese, roll up, cut in some slats, bake and serve. Super simple and totally do-able for the home cook! When you make these, people will think you’re a rock star because they are so good.

Honestly, this is just a different way to eat pizza. People go nuts over this because it’s something they don’t see every day. Pizza is just plain ol’ pizza. But stromboli! Well, you just became 16 times cooler because you served this instead of pizza at your Superbowl party. Shall we make some? Okay!

Stromboli Recipe Ingredients

For this stromboli recipe, I used a more traditional set of ingredients. Salami, ham, mozzarella, and parmesan!

However, just like pizza, you can customize it to your liking. Spinach, artichoke, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, pepperoni, and sausage are all different ingredients you can experiment with!

How to Make Stromboli

With these step-by-step photos, this recipe is super easy to make. So for full details, including increments, on how to make this stromboli recipe, see the recipe card down below!

1. Start out by spreading your pizza dough out into a rectangle on a baking sheet. I used my Fail-Proof Pizza Dough Recipe because it is in fact fail-proof. And  I also used parchment paper because I didn’t want to have to clean my baking sheet after this hot mess was done baking. Lazy Mom’s unite! Feel free to use the straight-up pan.

2. Spread pizza sauce over most of the dough, leaving a 3-inch border. I use Prego marinara because it’s way cheaper than a teeny tiny bottle of actual pizza sauce.

3. Grate some cheese, please! And sprinkle half over the top of the sauce. Keep that plain, sauce-less dough alone! No touchy!

4. Now fish around your fridge for some meat. I used my pepperoni up without realizing it so I used salami. Lay those slices out over the cheese.

5. And because you can, lay some ham over that wham bam slam…..ma’am. Jam. I can’t stop.

6. Sprinkle the last of the cheese over top of the meat and that’s the filling!

7. Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk it up. Now brush that edge with it.

8. Fold up the two shorter sides about an inch and brush these little flaps with egg too.

9. Now roll that baby up as tight as you can! You want to end up with that strip of plain dough on the bottom of this whole stromboli.

10. Brush this fat baby with an egg.

11. Then cut slats in the top, and sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

12. Bake this bad boy 8-10 minutes or until it looks golden and bubbly. Hello lover.

How to Serve

Wait a few minutes before you slice and serve. And beware of all that raging ooey-gooey cheese. Right out of the oven it’s hotter than the fires of hell. So, watch yourself.

Serve this stromboli recipe with extra sauce if you feel so inclined. It’s about at this time people start worshiping the ground you walk on because these are so doggone good.

If You Liked This Stromboli Recipe, Try These!

• How to Grill Pizza
• Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
• Chicken Alfredo Pizza
• Easy Skillet Pizzas

So there you have it, folks! A perfect snack, meal, or appetizer. Try this stromboli recipe today!

The printable recipe card is dowl below, enjoy!

Print

Easy Stromboli Recipe

Do you know how to make Stromboli? With this step-by-step Stromboli recipe, you'll be an expert on making this pizza-inspired appetizer!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword how to make stromboli, stromboli, stromboli recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 490kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. pizza dough I used my fail-proof recipe
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 9 slices salami
• 7 slices deli honey ham
• 1 egg beaten
• dried parsley optional
• parmesan cheese optional
• extra pizza sauce for dipping, optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line large rimmed cookie sheet with parchment or spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
• Spread pizza dough out on baking sheet to be approximately 10×16. Spread pizza sauce over 2/3’s of the dough lengthwise, leaving a 3×16 rectangle of plain dough along one of the edges. Top sauce with half the grated cheese, salami and ham. Top with remaining cheese.
• Brush the plain strip of dough with the egg. Fold in the sides about an inch and brush them with egg. Roll up like a jelly roll lengthwise starting along the long edge of dough topped with all the fillings and ending with the plain strip of dough on the bottom of the roll.
• Brush the entire stromboli with egg and gently cut slats in the top of the dough every 1-2 inches. Sprinkle parsley and cheese over top and bake in the lower third of the oven for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
• Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes and slice into pieces. Serve with more pizza sauce.

Notes

If your stromboli burns before the inside is baked,  your oven may run hot! Be sure to bake stromboli in the lower half of the oven for best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1888mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 2.9mg

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