Luke Approved! Pizza
There is nothing more in life I love than turning people on to delicious food. Especially when it's my four-year old nephew. You see, Luke, has severe food allergies. Most especially milk proteins. So, you can imagine how hard it must be to tell a precious little boy that Pizza has cheese--it's "boo boo" food.
About a week ago, when planning his overnight adventure to my house for Easter Weekend, I got the call. "Can you learn to make me a special pizza?" said the meek little voice on the other end of the phone. His mom told me that while she was eating pizza one night Luke asked if he could have his "own." How do you say no to a precious little boy?
So, I was on it. I was gonna learn to make a "real" pizza for him -- diary free, egg free, nut free and meat free. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard. And, because it was fresh, organic and made minutes before we devoured it, it was, of course, delicious! The best part was that Luke, and little Nolan--Luke's brother and my 2 year old nephew (pictured here with their Mom)--helped make the pizza from start to finish.
They put the ingredients into the food processor to make the dough... and delighted at pushing the buttons and counting the time it processed! They kneaded the dough... they punched it down after it rose... they rolled the dough and fitted it on their special little pizza pans. We put on sauce, they selected their toppings (artichokes, black olives, mushrooms and roasted red peppers -- very sophisticated palates! But, they are after all, my nephews!!!) and put them on. The great discovery was Tofutti! The perfect substitute for mozzarella, and it actually tasted pretty good... for tofu cheese! Who knew?!?! It worked beautifully.
I think a Rock Star Pizza Maker was born. Pizza....Luke Approved! What a joy!!!
Luke Approved! Pizza Dough (Egg and Dairy Free)
Makes 2 small Pizzas
Use unbleached all-purpose flour rather than bleached all-purpose; it makes a better, more resilient food-processor dough. Whatever you do, don’t process the dough any longer than specified. Finishing the kneading by hand ensures a perfect dough; a perfect dough means a perfect crust.
3/4 cup warm water
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon sugar
1 ¾ cups plus 1 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
Place the warm water in food processor bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, then add salt, 2 teaspoons oil and sugar. Process briefly to stir. Then let it rest 1 minute.
Add 1 ¾ cups flour and process in two 4-second intervals, waiting several seconds between each. Process one more time at a 4-second interval, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon flour with machine running. Let dough rest 1 minute in the processor.
Lightly oil a medium bowl. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface; it will be just a little sticky. With floured hands, knead gently 30 to 45 seconds. Place dough in the oiled bowl, rotating to coat entire surface. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in warm spot to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Punch down the dough in the bowl and then transfer to a work surface. Cut the dough ball in half. Wrap each half in cling film. Let it rest on the counter for about 8 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface. Lightly oil a pizza plate or stone.
Roll out the dough into a circle. Stretch the dough with your hands to fit the pizza plate or stone. Place the pizza dough onto the plate and stretch into place. Add pizza sauce and toppings.
Place in a 375 degree F oven for about 20 minutes. Allow the pizza to rest about 5 minutes before slicing.
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