Pizza be with you:

I've been thinking about pizza lately. I've got a favorite pizza place in the Basin, and I'm sure many others do too. But what do you do if you can't get there, or would rather make your own?

You could get one of those pre-made shelf-stable crusts, and then put on your sauce, cheese and other toppings. Besides it being extra-chewy, I was always afraid that I would burn the crust while getting the cheese to melt.

Frozen pizzas from the local mega-mart have always been a bit too sparse with the toppings for me. Compare those with pizzas from your favorite restaurant. Those pizzas are fairly heaped with toppings, which make the frozen ones look anemic. Admittedly, I've bought a frozen pizza or two, as the convenience is too great to pass up, but finding a good brand has been a challenge for me, as I really don't like any of them.

Frozen pizzas always get extra toppings here. I'm not interested in getting a package of pre-sliced pepperoni and a bag of shredded cheese. I'll use a good quality meat that I have to slice thinly myself, and then add a quality cheese, like a fresh mozzarella, or Parmiggiano-Reggiano that I shred myself. It all depends on the pizza. If you do add extra toppings to a frozen pizza, you might have to adjust the baking time in your oven. The time on the box takes into account the sparse toppings on the pie, and not what you just added. Depending on the type of crust, you might have to lower the temperature about 25 degrees for the rising crust pies, to make sure the new toppings get heated through properly, without completely burning the crust, as it will take longer to cook fully.

SPAGHETTI SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (1 pound) cans tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large pot, heat the butter then add the onions. Sauté until lightly brown. Then add garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and beef broth. Cover and barely simmer for one hour. Adjust seasonings with fresh parsley, brown sugar, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper.

BROILED PIZZA

• 1 12-inch loaf round focaccia bread
• 1 (15 ounce) jar pizza or tomato sauce
• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3 ounces pepperoni, sliced
• 6-8 ounces mozzarella, sliced
• 4 ounces each: ham, turkey and Genoa salami, thinly sliced
• 6-8 ounces provolone, sliced
• 6-8 ounces mild cheddar, sliced

Preheat broiler. Slice bread crosswise and place cut-side up on cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce on both halves, reserving 1/4 cup sauce. Layer top half with mushrooms, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Layer bottom half with deli meats, provolone and Cheddar cheeses. Place under hot broiler 4-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from broiler. Place halves of sandwich together. Cut into 8 pie-shaped wedges and serve with remaining pizza sauce for dipping.

CHEESEBURGER PIZZA

• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 pre-baked pizza crust
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup dill pickle slices
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 cup diced tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a frying pan over medium heat, cook ground beef with seasonings until it gets brown and crispy. Drain. Mix pizza sauce with ketchup and spread over crust. Sprinkle with cheeses and top with beef and onion. Place on a large baking sheet and bake until and bake until cheese is melted, at least 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top with pickles. Allow pizza to cool for 10 minutes before topping with lettuce and tomato before serving.

MARGHERITA PIZZA

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed or diced tomatoes pureed briefly to a chunky texture
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup lightly packed basil leaves
• About 2 cups fresh mozzarella slices, about 1/2 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup room-temperature water and the yeast. Let stand 15 minutes. In bowl of a stand mixer using dough hook, mix flour, salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and yeast mixture on medium speed until well incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and mix until dough is very smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes on low speed. In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and stir until fragrant , about 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and simmer about 20 minutes. In a food processor, place 1/4 cup olive oil and basil leaves. Process long enough to finely chop basil, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Stir 1 tablespoon basil oil into tomato sauce as it's cooking, along with some salt. Pour remaining basil oil into a small bowl and cover. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll into balls and place on a floured pan and cover loosely. Allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Preheat oven to 550 degrees. If you have on, heat a pizza stone in the oven. If not, use a baking sheet. Take a ball and flatten out by hand on a lightly floured surface until about 10 inches in diameter. Go slow, so as to not tear it. Spoon tomato sauce onto dough, leaving a thin border. Gently place dough into hot oven and bake about 5 minutes, to help set dough. Remove from oven and sprinkle on about 1/2 cup mozzarella then 1 generous pinch oregano. Return to oven and cook 2 to 5 minutes more, or until crust is golden brown and firm but not rock hard. Transfer pizza to a cutting board and drizzle with basil oil. Assemble and bake rest of pizzas the same way.