Pizza Party
Yep! That's right, this project involves eating and conserving the oceans. How, you might ask? Well, it's because this project is making your own PIZZA (and eating it too)!
Similar to our Growing Goodness at Home blog entry, this project reduces Food Miles! Creating a homemade pizza reduces the miles travelled for your ingredients bought at the grocery store. The diagram below is a great example of what it means to "shorten the food chain" and thus reduce food miles! Additionally, this DIY reduces the amount of plastic packaging traditionally found on store-bought pizza and cardboard waste on delivery pizza!
The more you know...FACTS from UNESCO
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There are over 220 million tons of plastic produced each year.
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Plastic debris kills over a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals every year.
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Plastic waste materials often become concentrated in certain areas called gyres as a result of oceanic currents.
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The North Pacific Gyre is the largest of the 5 in the world. It is more commonly known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and is approximately twice the size of Texas.
SUPPLIES
Ingredient List
Kitchen Utensils
2 cups all-purpose flour
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 packet yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
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1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
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3/4 teaspoon salt
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2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional
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3/4 cup warm water
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3 bowls (2 large, 1 small)
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Measuring cups
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Measuring spoons
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Spatula
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Parchment paper
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Baking tray/pizza pan
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Rolling Pin (if you don’t have a rolling pin, a wine bottle or even your hands can substitute)
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Tea towel
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Large wooden spoon
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Basting Brush
INSTRUCTIONS
i.e. let the yeast become active
Step 1. Mixing Ingredients to form the dough
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Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl, set aside for 5 minutes to let yeast proof
before proofing
and
after proofing
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In a separate large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, ¾ tsp of salt, and 2 tbsp of olive oil and use a wooden spoon to stir well.
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Once the yeast is proofed, slowly add it to the large bowl with dry ingredients. Stir until everything is well combined.
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Gradually add the rest of the flour, then stir to combine.
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Stir until the dough has formed into a ball and is beginning to pull away from the side of the bowl.
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Stop mixing when the dough looks dry.
Watch this video for extra help
Step 2. Prepare for resting stage
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In a third bowl, use the basting brush to lightly coat the inside with olive oil.
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Dust your hands with flour and pick up the dough, shaping it into a round ball. It may require further kneading to hold the shape (3-5 times) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJiucv88flM
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Transfer dough to the olive oil-brushed bowl.
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Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.
Step 3. Preheat oven
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Preheat your oven to 425F (215C).
Step 4. Prepping dough
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After 30 minutes, scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl (it will be sticky, I use a spatula!) and transfer to a lightly floured surface.
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Knead the dough again until smooth
Step 5. Rolling out dough
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At this point, you can decide if you'd like one large pizza or 2-3 individual pies, and divide the dough accordingly! (I find the easiest way to divide the dough is to use a serrated knife and carefully cut through the dough)
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Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle (For a thin-crust, aim for 0.5- 1cm crust thickness and for a traditional crust, aim for 1-2cm thickness)
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Line a baking tray or pizza pan with parchment paper and transfer the crust on top.
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Drizzle 1-2 tsp of olive oil over the pizza, using a brush or your fingers to spread evenly.
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Use a fork to pierce the dough, making holes all over the pizza. This will prevent large air bubbles from forming in the oven.
Step 6. Add toppings
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Add your favourite toppings
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Bake in a 425F (215C) preheated oven for 13-15 minutes.
I used spinach, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella for a classic white pizza
Bon Appétit!
TIPS AND TRICKS
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You can make this dough ahead of time and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days!
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After the dough has risen (step 4), form the dough into a ball and add to an (upcycled) plastic bag (e.g. a large Ziploc bag). Make sure not to “zip” the top, as the dough will expand some...just twist and fold the top over!
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When you are ready to create your pizza, take the dough out of the fridge about an hour beforehand. Allow dough to come to room temperature before rolling out and adding toppings!
FEEL GOODS
Make this project even more sustainable by using some of the herbs and veggies you grew from the Growing Goodness at Home project!