Get Him to the Greek (Pizza)

By: Wes Simons | June 18 2010
Posted in Seattle - Cook It - Seattle

Friends are on their way over for dinner, and all you have is an odd assortment of vegetables, several different condiments left over from previous dinners, and a bit of a cheese. What could you possibly cook that will feed six people and keep everyone satisfied? Pizza.

Photo: Luke Widfeldt

The Dough

There are several store bought options for pizza crust, but I’m fortunate to have a friend who is attempting to break into the pizza business. I grudgingly volunteered to be a test subject. While the exact recipe is a secret, I’ll risk breaking confidentiality and provide the basic ingredients. High gluten flour provides a better flavor and consistency than regular flour, and is a must if you’re serious about making your own pizza dough. In addition to the flour, honey, olive oil, salt, water, active dry yeast and eggs are all added. The dough is usually allowed to rise for between 12 and 24 hours.

Keep on Rolling

Roll the pizza dough out however you like, although hand tossing is the recommended method. The pizza should be thin so that the dough cooks all the way through.

Top it Off

To make the perfect Greek pizza you need feta, onions, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, bell peppers and gyro meat. Gyro meat, typically thinly sliced lamb, can be tough to find. It should be available from the local butcher upon request. If you are fortunate enough to have a Winco Foods (a West Coast employee-owned chain grocer) nearby, check for gyro meat at a nice price.

Get Baked

To cook pizza perfectly, use a pizza stone in a 500-degree oven, and give it at least 20 minutes to warm up. (The stone crisps the crust nicely.) This ensures that the stone will be hot enough to cook the pizza rapidly. With a hot stone and thin dough, the pizza shouldn’t have to be in the oven for more than a few minutes.

Make pizza much? What’s your favorite topping combination?