Lajla from Denmark wrote:

>BUT - what is a plain cheese pizza?

American cheese pizza can vary depending on which restaurant/pizza
place/supermarket you get it from; whether it's basic or fancy - up to 6
cheeses in the latter; and which part of the country you're in. But
usually it's a regular pizza, including sauce, simply with cheese as the
only topping. Most places I've seen it, the basic cheese pizza includes
mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses - heavy on the mozzarella. If
you're a cheese-lover, you order double cheese.

This is what I use for my standard home-made pizza. The dough recipe is
from the Kitchen-Aid mixer cookbook; the sauce is my own version. More
Italian seasoning can be added to the sauce, if wanted, but kids usually
don't want it too highly spiced. (One reason, I'm sure, Kevin of 'Home
Alone' wanted a plain cheese pizza. Kids don't *want* strange foods - and
*every* food is strange when you're a kid, you're always running into
weird new stuff people want you to eat. It's a pain. Kids want something
familiar.) You can adjust the cheese amounts as desired, because really,
pizza is infinitely variable; more of the toppings is always better! In
America, anyway. If you want a fancier version, just add any other
cheeses you like and think will blend nicely with the rest. And that your
kids will eat.

Notes: Sorry, no metrics; I have no head for math even in US measurements.
<g>
No idea if you have tomato paste available in Denmark, but it's pretty
much the next step down in concentration from tomato sauce. *Really*
thick. Using sauce isn't recommended, though, unless you have no choice;
tomato paste really makes a difference in taste. If you must use the
sauce, cook it down as thick as you can get it the day before, using 2 or
3 8-oz. cans - or the equivalent - of sauce.

The cornmeal is only to make getting the pizza out of the pan easier. I've
never found it to help much, so I skip it entirely. Frankly, what makes
the durned pizza stick is the cheese running off the sides and welding it
to whatever pan it's in, not the dough clinging to the bottom of the pan!


American Cheese Pizza

Dough:

1 package dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon solid shortening, melted
2-1/2 to 3 cups flour
few teaspoons cornmeal

Cheese topping:

About 12 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
6 oz. Parmesan, grated

Sauce:

1 or 2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
(depending on how much sauce you like on your pizza. 1 can will give very
thin coverage of one pizza; 2 cans will make enough so you don't see the
dough
quite so much.)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, or equivalent mix of marjoram, oregano,
thyme, rosemary, basil, savory, and sage
few teaspoons water


About 3 hrs. befo Dissolve yeast in water; add sugar, salt and melted
shortening. Stir in 2 cups flour. Gradually stir in rest of flour, until
dough is too stiff to add any more. Turn dough out on floured surface and
knead, adding flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place
dough in greased bowl; turn to ensure dough is greased on all sides.
Cover and let rise in warm spot until doubled. Punch down.

Preparing sauce: In small, heavy sauce pot, combine sauce ingredients. Add
just enough water so the sauce won't burn, and mix well. Over medium heat,
bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, to blend
flavors. (Or, using a microwave-proof bowl, microwave it on high for 5
minutes.) Let cool to room temperature. Sauce should still be very thick,
not runny.

Assembling pizza: Lightly grease a 14" diameter pizza pan or a large
cookie sheet. Dust pan with cornmeal. Press dough into bottom and sides of
pan. (If using cookie sheet, pinch edges so they rise up a bit, to keep
filling from going over sides.) Spread sauce evenly over dough in a thin
layer. Starting with the mozzarella, sprinkle the three cheeses evenly
over the pizza in alternate thin layers, until you run out.

To bake: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Put pizza in oven; reduce heat
immediately to 450 degrees F., and bake 35 minutes, or until cheese is
melted and golden on top. (Note - pizza always seems to cook faster than
you think it will, especially those with fewer toppings. Check it after
about 15 minutes, and keep checking!) Cut and serve immediately.

Monica





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