1 tsp. dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 C. warm water (add 1/4 tsp honey--it helps the yeast). Let that sit until it begins to froth a little.
In a bowl, combine:
1 1/2 C. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
a generous sprinkling of dried oregano, dried basil, and dried crushed red pepper
Add the yeast and approximately 1/2 C more warm water (you've got to have a 'feel' for how much is needed). You can also add a T. or so of olive oil at this point.
Mix thoroughly and turn out on a floured surface. Knead for several minutes, then place in a bowl which has been rubbed with olive oil. Cover the bowl and set in a warm place.
At this point, you can chop garlic, slice mushrooms and grate mozzarella cheese.
When the dough has risen by half, turn it out into a pizza pan which has been rubbed generously with olive oil. Nudge the dough carefully to the edges of the pan.
My favorite ingredient here is pesto sauce, which I usually thin with a bit of olive oil. This pizza required 3 T. of pesto; then I loaded it with garlic, Crimini mushrooms, fire-roasted red peppers and a generous sprinkling of grated Romano cheese.
Here's how it looked, ready for the oven!I slid it into a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 14 minutes, then added the grated mozzarella and let it bake until the cheese got bubbly (about 6 minutes more).
And then, it was done! A nice crisp-but-chewy, flavorful crust with very healthful toppings!I then sat and watched "Abraham Lincoln" (1930, with Walter Huston) on IMDb, before hitting Fox Live for the SOTU.
My pizza was much more spectacular than the speechifying, thank you!
