pizza with whole wheat parmesian crust

I posted this pic a couple weeks ago, and have had people asking for the recipe. I was surprised to find I hadn't already added it, as this has been a long time, family favorite. I have a large, round, cobalt blue ceramic plate with deep sides that "just fits" into my oven. Made by one of my artists, Milt Friedly, I've custom ordered several as gifts over the years.

I start by preparing the plate with a mixture of canned parmesian cheese, dried basil and oregano, and a little salt. Just swirl it around to cover most of the bottom so it looks like "a satellite picture of a hurricane" as my husband David described it, and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

I found the pizza dough recipe in Courntry Living Magazine, the October 1990 issue, and adjusted it only by substituting some whole wheat flour for some of the white. In a medium sized, glass bowl, add the following and stir with a fork or whip just until dry ingredients are combined:

1 1/3 cup very warm water

2 tbs. honey

2 tbs. dry yeast

1 cup whole wheat flour

In a few minutes the mixture gets foamy, simply telling you the yeast is at work. Stir in the following until it no longer sticks in the bowl, then turn it out onto a floured surface:

2-3 cups unbleached, white flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tbs. olive oil

Knead for five minutes, adding remaining and additional unbleached white flour as needed, until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. Be generous with your kneading, and you'll be rewarded with a finer textured dough. Place the dough in a bowl greased with olive oil, and let it rise in a warm place until double in size - about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare ingredients for the sauce. In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and saute the following:

2 large mashed and diced garlic cloves

1/4 diced white onion - about 3 tbs.

Add in the following, stir together and gently heat:

26 oz. can tomato sauce

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp. dried habernero pepper, to taste

Turn off the sauce, stir about a 1/2 cup fresh, diced green pepper, and set aside.

On a sheet of wax paper, or into a bowl, shred the following cheeses and mix together, or if you are in a hurry, use prepackaged shredded cheeses, but use at least three different ones for a more flavorful pizza.

1 cup mozarella

1 cup parmesian

1 cup cheddar

Punch the dough down and knead again briefly, then let rest five minutes on a floured surface. Roll out the dough into a large round, big enough to cover the surface and sides of the plate, flipping frequently and adding plenty of flour to keep it from sticking while rolling.

Fold in half to transport to the plate, then unfold, tucking into the sides any loose edges that escape. Poke holes in the crust with a fork to prevent bubbling, and let rise 15-20 minutes. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove.

Spread a layer of your prepared sauce on the pre-baked crust, then layer cheeses, sliced bell peppers and fresh spinach, pepperoni, or any other combination of pizza toppings. Place back in oven for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes or so, then slice and serve.

This recipe makes enough for two large pizzas, and I usually end up making one unadulterated pepperoni pizza specifically for my kids, and another veggie pizza with whatever happens to be in the produce drawer for myself and any other more adventuresome guests. Leftovers will keep fine in a cool oven with foil on top for a day or two, if they last that long! Or you can bag and freeze individual servings for the coming weeks.