How To Create Easy Quarantine Pizza

At first, the idea of staying home for a week or longer to prevent the spread of the coronavirus seemed like a new adventure. Then we thought it would be a challenge to make daily menus for our-home cooked meals.

That’s how we decided to write our “Z’s Stay-at Home Food Blog.” You can do it, too.

My husband and I have been cooking together since we got married, almost 70 years ago, but we each cook differently. It seemed like this was the opportunity to coordinate our food fantasies.

I soon discovered that there was enough food in the freezer, pantry and refrigerator to last a very long time, with a few exceptions.

I enjoy being a pastry and dessert maker, which includes making pizza and breads, (challah, too). My husband prepares main courses, using lots of leftovers.

Over the years, I have taught cooking classes and I love to show and tell students how a recipe often can sound difficult but usually isn’t.

Preparing pizza dough is an example. Water, oil and yeast go into an electric mixer. Add flour, mix well and place on a floured surface to knead. Shape into a large ball and divide into four parts. Put them into plastic bags and place in the refrigerator or freezer. It doesn’t get easier than that, and you have four pizzas ready to roll out and bake with your favorite toppings.

This is one of my favorite menus, and I’m including my favorite pizza recipe along with photos.

BASIC PIZZA
Prepare this Pizza dough roll it out and select your own toppings, onions, tomatoes, roasted peppers, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH 
2 packages active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1 ¼  cups warm water (110 to 115 F)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal

Dissolve the yeast with a pinch of sugar and ½ cup of water and set aside until foamy.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the remaining ¼ cup water, olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Mix the flour and salt and stir 1 cup at a time until the dough comes together into a rough ball.  Spoon onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and oil top.  Set aside in a warm place about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and divide into 4 balls

Working with one ball at a time, kneed on a floured board, using a rolling pin, roll into a thin circle,

Brush a round pizza pan with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal and place the rolled out dough on top. Spread with assorted toppings.

Makes 4 pizzas