Piece-a Heaven
Team: Cookie Ninjas
Host School: Randolph Elementary School
Age Group: Middle School
Ingredients
Pizza Dough (prepared ahead of time, frozen, and defrosted for day of cooking)
- 1 1/2 cup very warm water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup bread flour
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups white whole wheat flour
Pizza Sauce (prepared ahead of time, frozen, and defrosted for day of cooking)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion or about 1 medium onion
- 1/2 head of garlic (about 6 cloves or 1/4 cup crushed fresh garlic)
- 40 oz. or 1 1/2 boxes chopped tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 3/8 tsp fennel seeds
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 tsp dried rosemary
Toppings
- 1/2 cup garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt for sprinkling
- 4-5 carrots, scrubbed
- 3/8 tsp dried basil
- 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese
- 2 cup fresh spinach leaves
Preparation Instructions
Pizza Dough
- Dissolve the honey in the warm water. Add the yeast and stir. Wait 5 minutes.
- Add the bread flour. Wait about 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to look bubbly.
- Add the olive oil and salt and mix well.
- Add the white whole wheat flour and mix well. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.
- Knead the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface until dough comes together well and is slightly springy.
- Oil a clean bowl, place dough ball inside, cover with a clean towel, and set aside in a warm spot to let rise for about 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
- Shape into pizza crusts now or freeze for later date.
Pizza Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.
- Add the onions and saute 1-2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium low and saute until onions are golden, about 8 minutes.
- Crush the garlic into the saucepan and stir contantly for 1-2 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn.
- Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, longer if you have the time to wait.
Making Your Pizza
- Chop the carrots into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
- Coat the carrots with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the basil. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Slice the garlic into thin slices.
- Divide the pizza dough into 6 equal sized circles.
- Press the slices of garlic along the edges of the dough.
- Brush the dough and garlic with 3 Tbsp of olive oil.
- Sprinkle the edges of the dough with kosher salt.
- Bake on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- Grate mozzarella cheese.
- When the carrots are done (after the 20 minutes), remove from oven and set aside.
- After prebaking the crusts, remove from oven. Spread 1/2 cup pizza sauce on each crust.
- Spread 1/3 cup cheese evenly on each crust.
- Decorate with spinach leaves and roasted carrot circles.
- Bake your pizzas until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
- Remove from oven, let cool slightly, slice, and enjoy!