Valentine’s Day Pizza

Hey friends, I’m so excited to share a family friendly recipe with you today. This is the perfect casual dinner to put together for Valentine’s Day. With just a little preparation and rise time, you’ll have a delicious handmade pizza in just a few hours.

One of the ways we save money in our house is by cooking mostly from scratch at home. This is one of those dinners that my entire crew gets excited about. It’s less expensive than ordering pizza and tastes so much better. I also love that I have complete control over what goes into it and can customize it however we like. Since Valentine’s Day is this week, I thought it would be fun to put a spin on things and add festive shaped pepperonis.

First, you’ll want to get your pizza dough started so it has time to rise. If you’ve never worked with yeast before, don’t panic. It’s really not very difficult and this is a great starter recipe. There’s also no need for fancy equipment or a stand mixer. You can absolutely use your Kitchen aid to knead the dough but I actually prefer to skip that with this recipe. A good wooden spoon or spatula and a large glass bowl will work perfectly.

Ingredients:

Crust

-2 cups all purpose flour

-2tsp fast rising yeast

-3/4 cup warm water

-1 tsp salt

-3 tsp olive oil

Toppings

-1 cup marinara sauce

-1lb shredded cheese of choice (I prefer using 8oz mozzarella and 8 oz sharp white cheddar)

-1 package pepperoni slices

-3 tablespoons butter

-1/4 tsp garlic powder

-1/4 tsp parsley

1. In a large glass bowl, mix together your flour, yeast and salt.

2. Add in the water and olive oil and mix until dough is shaggy but comes together. It will look a little dry.

3. Using your hands, knead the dough for a few minutes until it is easily formed into a ball. The dough will not be completely smooth, you haven’t done anything wrong.

4. Form the dough into a ball. Using the same bowl, give the bottom and sides a good drizzle of olive oil. I also apply a light coating over the top of the dough ball. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap or a clean tea towel.

5. Place in a draft free area and allow to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. The dough will rise faster if it’s in a warm environment. While the dough is rising, prepare the rest of the toppings.

6. To prepare the pepperonis, you’ll need small cookie cutters in whatever shape you want to use. I used a heart and a letter “X” and “O” to give the pizza some Valentine’s flair. Press the cookie cutter firmly over each pepperoni slice to cut out your shapes. You’ll end up with quite a few scraps. I like to save these, they’re great for snacking. Set your pepperoni cut-outs aside or in the fridge until ready to use.

7. Now, it’s time to shred your cheese. I used an 8oz block of sharp white cheddar and and 8oz block of mozzarella. Not only does cheese taste better when you shred it yourself, it melts better, it’s cheaper and there’s no cellulose which is used to prevent caking.

8. When your pizza dough is almost doubled in size, line two sheet pans with parchment paper. I love to use these pre-cut parchment sheets. If you prefer to make one large pizza instead of two small, turn a rimmed cookie sheet upside down and use the back covered with parchment. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.

9. After the dough has doubled, uncover it and gently split it into two pieces. Use your hands to gently stretch and shape the dough into the desired shape. I don’t fret over the shape of my crust, I try to focus on creating a thinner center without the dough tearing and embrace the rustic shapes that are created.

10. Using a spoon or spatula, spread a very thin layer of marinara over the crusts, leaving an untouched rim around each where the crust is.

11. Spread your cheese out as evenly as possible and decorate your pizzas with your pepperoni shapes.

12. Bake your pizza for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. The crust will not change much in color but will feel firm to the touch.

13. Melt the butter in a small dish and stir in garlic powder and parsley. Using a pastry brush, brush onto the pizza crust. Slice and serve.