Mom's Friday Pizza
Submitted by bigredmere
A thin-crust homemade pizza baked on hot tiles for a crisp base, with garlic oil, tomato sauce, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and cottage cheese in place of mozzarella. A lighter, vegetable-loaded family-night pie.
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
20 minREADY
2 hrsA homemade pizza night tradition, this thin-crust pie is built from scratch and baked on hot tiles for a crust that shatters at the edges. The dough is the heart of it: yeast proofed until bubbly, kneaded until smooth and elastic, then rested between rollings so the gluten relaxes and you can stretch it really thin without it springing back.
Preheating tiles or a stone in a hot oven is the trick to that crisp bottom. Before the sauce goes on, the dough gets painted with garlic-infused olive oil and a little salt, which seasons the crust from below.
A thin layer of tomato sauce, a scatter of mushrooms, green pepper, and onion, and then cottage cheese stands in for mozzarella, lighter and a touch tangy. A drizzle of oil and oregano, a hot fast bake, and you have a lighter, vegetable-loaded pizza.
Pro Tips
- Let the dough rest between rollings so the gluten relaxes and you can stretch it thin without it shrinking back.
- Preheat the tiles or a baking stone fully before the pizza goes on; a hot surface is what crisps the bottom crust.
- Brush the dough with garlic oil before saucing, to season the crust and help keep it from going soggy.
- Go light on toppings for a thin crust, since a heavy load steams the dough instead of crisping it.
Variations
- Use mozzarella or a cheese blend if you prefer a classic melt over the cottage cheese.
- Add olives, artichokes, fresh basil, or a sprinkle of chili flakes.
- Swap whole wheat flour for part of the dough for a heartier crust.
Ingredients
Directions
THE DOUGH:- Place yeast, ¼ cup warm water, and sugar in a large bowl or the work bowl of your food processor. Let proof (become bubbly). Mix in flour and salt.
Mix in remaining 1 cup warm water and olive oil. Knead or process until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if needed.
Place dough in a large greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for about 45 minutes.
While the dough is rising, place 4 unglazed, 5-inch square quarry tiles or pizza tiles in oven and heat oven to 450oF.
Pizzas baked on such tiles have crunchier crusts. After dough has risen, divide it into 4 equal parts, form each into a smooth ball, and cover for 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into 4 small circles, 10 to 12 inches each. Wait 10 minutes more. Roll the dough thinner. a thin layer of cornmeal or grease pizza pan with oil.
Place one rolled circle of dough on the pizza peel or in pizza pan. Crush garlic into olive oil. Paint surface of the dough with garlic oil and sprinkle with salt.
Spoon about ¼ cup tomato sauce over dough. Arrange mushrooms, green pepper and onion over tomato sauce.
Put cottage cheese on top (as if it were mozzarella).
Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon oregano and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
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