Pizza Dough Can Save You Dough

Homemade Pizza Dough is not just for Pizza
Singles, families, busy professionals all want to get the most out of the time and energy that they spend in the kitchen. They also want to save money. Here's how an easy, basic recipe can feed you and save you time and money.

Start with a basic pizza dough recipe:

1 c. lukewarm water
1 t. yeast (or 1 pkg. 1/4 oz yeast)
2 1/2 c. flour
1 T. olive oil
1 t. salt

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Put the flour, olive oil, and salt into a mixing bowl Mix in the yeast/water. Mix until the dough leaves the side of the bowl. If the mixture is too dry, add water another tablespoon of water. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and move it to a warm place dough and let rise for 15 minutes.

At this point, the dough can be lightly floured and placed in a freezer safe plastic storage bag. The dough can be refrigerated if it is going to be used within 3 days, or it can be frozen for up to a month. If storing in the freezer, be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible.

Pizza

Roll out the dough on a floured board or clean countertop into the shape and size of the cookie sheet or pizza pan. Pat & stretch the crust into the pan and top with your favorite toppings. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 500 oven for 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remember, thin crust bakes & browns faster.
But here's what else you can do with that dough.

Stromboli

Once you make this, you can customize this recipe to your own personal preferences.
Roll out the pizza dough on a flour-dusted into a rectangular shape about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Carefully, place this rectangle on a cookie sheet or sheet pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray or covered in parchment paper. On the long sides, take a sharp knife and make 1 1/2 inch cuts down each side of the dough, about 1 inch apart.
Carefully spread 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. tomato sauce (or your favorite pizza or spaghetti sauce) followed by 1/4 c. chopped green pepper, 1/4 c. chopped onion, 1/4 c. diced ham (Use leftover diced ham or ham lunchmeat torn into 1/2 inch pieces) Sprinkle with 1/2 t. garlic powder and 1/2 t. oregano. Fold the strips over the center mixture. Overlap the strips and pinch them together. If desired, you can brush the top of the Stromboli with olive oil.
Bake in a preheated 500 oven for 12 minutes or until browned. Slice into 1 inch strips to serve. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Stuffed Breads

This method makes a tasty pocket sandwich that can be eaten right away or frozen for later.
Once you get the method down, you can stuff these beauties with anything. I like ham, cheese, and green pepper. Try leftover chopped chicken, chopped potato & cheese. If desired, these breads can be stuffed with chopped vegetables. The key is to not overload the dough.

Roll out the pizza dough into 6 -7 inch circles to 1/4 inch thickness. Since the circles are small, all of the ingredients should be chopped into medium to small pieces. Sprinkle the chopped ingredients with garlic powder, and salt & pepper to taste. Vary the spices to fit the ingredients. Ex. Sprinkle cooked chicken and leftover chopped asparagus with curry powder.

Spread the ingredients one at a time in a strip from top to bottom about 1 inch from the left edge of the dough. At this point, you may want to lightly sprinkle the ingredients with the cheese of your choice.
Be careful not to overfill. Roll the dough by stretching the dough over the filling, tucking in the top and bottom in as you go.

Place stuffed breads seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the breads lightly with olive oil. Bake in a 500 oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy. The stuffed breads can be frozen at this point. To heat: take the frozen bread out of the freezer and let thaw. Wrap the frozen bread in a piece of foil and heat in a 350 oven for 15 minutes.

About the Author

Regina Freeland is a busy professional who is always interested in saving time and money.

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