And she did it HER way.  This week was my pick for Craving Ellie. 

Pizza! 

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You can buy a 10 oz pre baked thin pizza crust or you can make your own.  Let’s go all the way here and make our own.  If you have a bread maker, simply add the following ingredients in the order your bread maker’s manufacturer suggests.  Otherwise, it’s really easy to make the dough from scratch using your hands, very little muscle and a clean countertop.

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To make 2 Lbs of Pizza Dough

*For the Ellie recipe, you may only need 1/2 pound to get a thin crust. Otherwise, use 1 lb or half of this recipe for the dough. 

  • 4 1/2 cups Hi Gluten Flour (or use Bread Flour)
  • 1 1/2 cups luke warm water
  • 1 well rounded TBS sugar
  • 1 TBS olive or canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp yeast

Dissolve yeast in the water and then add the oil, sugar, salt. 

Add the flour a little at a time.  Knead with wet hands for 5 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and cover.  Allow to rest for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.  Divide into 2 equal weight pieces.  Use 1lb for the following Mushroom Onion Basil Pizza and 1 lb for a different variety such as APPLE PUMPKIN ROLL.

*FOR THE PIZZA RECIPE BELOW, form 1lb of the dough in a pizza pan or rectangular baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 450 F and bake for 10 minutes.  Poke with a fork several times to aerate prior to baking so the dough doesn’t rise.  Now it’s ready to use to make your pizza.

You can also freeze the extra dough. Simply wrap it up well and it will keep about a month.

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Now we need to make Ellie’s “Easy Tomato Sauce” on page 153 of the book “The Food You Crave”.

Food You Crave

Makes 3 cups – and ready in 30 minutes

  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 1 med. onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 28oz cans whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (I used 1 can diced and 1 can whole)
  • 3 TBS tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium.  Add the onion and cook, stirring a few times until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook one more minute.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook, uncovered, stir on occasion until thick about 30 minutes. Season with salt and  pepper.

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PHEW!  Now we get to the PIZZA!

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  • 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
  • Boiling water
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 medium red onion, sliced into 1/2 moons
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 10 oz thin pizza crust – SEE ABOVE
  • 1 cup Tomato Sauce – SEE ABOVE
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup thin sliced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 450 F

Reconstitute the tomatoes by soaking them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Pat dry and thinly slice.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes.  Stir in garlic and remove from heat.

Place the pre baked pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread with tomato sauce, leave about 1 inch of a border.  Top with mushroom mixture and sun dried tomatoes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for about 12 – 15 minutes until cheese melts.  Sprinkle with basil and serve.

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The pizza was very good.  I would have enjoyed a stronger cheese on top of mine, maybe a little Asiago?  In any case, there were only 2 slices left when Ted and I were done.   But there is an extra pre-baked homemade FROZEN pizza waiting for us in the freezer.  Bet that doesn’t last a week.

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

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