Playoff Pizza Party

Every year - 22 and counting - my mom throws a Superbowl pizza party featuring 8-10 gourmet pizzas emerging from the oven every 20 minutes or so as we watch the game. Pizzas are sliced in small pieces so we can try all the varieties.

This year, our team - the Broncos, of course - are in the playoffs after unlikely odds. Naturally, this called for a shifting of the party to a Broncos playoff party!

Pizza pursuit, Part 3, The Finale

Having pulled the par-baked crusts out of the freezer (from the edible batch of course), I loaded on the pizza toppings and preheated the oven. After the cheese had appropriately melted, we tasted the piping hot pizzas. I have to say, the pizza making was (finally) a success - even my husband agreed. Quite an improvement from the pizza pita of first attempt.

On the menu: Italian turkey sausage with homemade pesto pizza and BBQ sausage with caramelized onions pizza

Pizza pursuit, Part 2

My mom always says a recipe is a guideline, except when baking. I was thinking this explained the flop of my first pizza attempt. I altered the recipe. I subbed half of the white flour with whole wheat. But now I am thinking it was more in the kneading and rolling out process. I left the dough too thick, resulting in a dense pita pocket emerging from my oven.

This time, I rolled the dough into thin crusts and remembered to spread with olive oil before putting it in the oven. I also experimented with some seasoning a la herbs of Provence. My second effort was better. So much better that it was actually edible.

Pizza pursuit, Part 1

I am married to a pizza lover, thru and thru. I’ll confess that I am not a huge fan of pizza myself. Yes, I said it, I don’t love pizza. But I do love my husband and indulge in the occasional pizza dinner to satiate his craving.

While not my favorite to eat, making pizza is first about baking and I do love to bake. So, I’ve been on the hunt for a pizza dough recipe. I found a promising one in Bon Appetite and gave it my first effort. As I left my dough to rise, there was great anticipation of pizza ahead. But, I’ll be honest with you and admit that it was not a success.

Together, my pizza-longing husband and I laughed at the results. As you can see, my first effort resembled more of a pita or naan than that of pizza crust. It was a great failed attempt. The pizza mission continues … until then, we order delivery…