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UPDATE: on January 16, 2023, I made this dough and doubled the recipe for 2 pizzas. The amount of yeast I used was about 1/8 teaspoon, or a smattering in the palm of my hand. For the pizza sauce, I started with a 29 ounce can of tomato sauce, and I added 5 roasted garlic cloves, mashed, and some fresh minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon because that’s what I had left over from the night before). I just simmered the sauce for a couple of hours, and at the end, added some fresh basil, chopped. The sauce was delicious! I made one pizza after proofing for 6 hours and saved the rest of the dough. The second night, the pizza was FABULOUS. The overnight fermentation made a huge difference. ALSO, I made this pizza on my new pellet fueled OONI pizza oven. Having managed to make two pizzas now without burning down my house, I can say I’m pleased with this contraption. Be advised it is not a no-stress pizza maker. You have to fire it up, re-fuel it, keep it hot, make sure your pizza is not more than 10 inches round, slide it in, wait 10 to 20 seconds, turn it, wait another 10 to 20 seconds, turn it again. Keep turning! If you don’t, your pizza will burn on the side closest to the firebox in the back! The second night I made pizza on the OONI oven, it was gorgeous, and I can safely say it was the best pizza I have ever made.

AND IF I MAY SO MYSELF, MY DOUGH MAKING SKILLS HAVE VASTLY IMPROVED SINCE I FOUND THIS COOKBOOK: “Mastering Pizza,” 2018, by Mark Vetri. You can get it at Amazon.com at https://amzn.to/3XTd7Wk

LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE

While my mom was convalescing from a broken shoulder, we watched The Heiress (1949) with Olivia de Havilland who won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in that movie. I was surprised at the timeliness of the story line. Catherine (Olivia’s character) was a blue stocking whose own father didn’t give her enough credit to attract a man absent an inheritance. To prove his point, he threatened to disown her if she married Morris, played by Montgomery Clift. Morris jilted Catherine when he found out she was going to be penniless. Then Daddy Warbucks died, leaving Catherine his fortune, and Morris reappeared –full of smack talk and contrition. Catherine who now viewed him with more than just a jaundiced eye gave him an expensive gift, expecting him to disappear again. When he came back, she refused to entertain his entreaties, and said, “The first time he wanted my money. Now he wants my money and my love.” Or words to that effect. When accused of being cruel, she said, “I am cruel. I learned from the Masters.” Then she went back to her needlework. It occurred to me that this was a great revenge movie, not that far off the theme of I Spit On Your Grave (1978). Catherine was mistreated and underestimated by every man whose love she sought. It changed her. She got tough. She took her revenge. Let me just say that I have NOT been mistreated by every man in my life. I’ve been lucky in that regard. But the notion of living well and being happy no matter what life throws at you is a guiding principle. So, my mom and I enjoyed this movie together while we ate pizza and (I) drank some nice wine. Life really doesn’t get much better than that.

TRUE REVENGE IS LIVING WELL WITH HAPPY MEMORIES AND LETTING GO OF ANGER AND BITTERNESS.

AND THAT’S WHERE THIS FEEL-GOOD PIZZA COMES IN!!!

Directions

Make the red pizza sauce in a pot over medium heat: Saute the onions in just a little olive oil until translucent but not browned. Add the tomato sauce and wine. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low bubble just once, then reduce heat and let simmer for a few hours.

Step 1

Make pizza dough, keeping in mind this recipe is for one pizza. You can double the proportions to make two pizzas. Place water and yeast in the bowl of your beautiful Kitchenaid mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.

Step 2

Add the flour to the bowl. Mix on low (Speed 2) for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the salt and mix another 30 seconds.

Step 3

Switch to the dough hook and knead in the Kitchenaid mixer at Speed 2 for 12 to 15 minutes.

Step 4

Put the dough in a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup with a scant amount of olive oil to coat the dough. Cover with a towel and let rest for 2 hours.

Step 5

Now you have to take the dough out of the measuring cup. Flatten it a bit and then tuck the bottom of the dough into itself (like you are tucking a sock into itself). Then pinch the bottom of the ball of dough until it swells up like a balloon. Squeeze the bottom of the ball of dough to remove the big air pockets. Then roll the bottom of the dough ball on a dry surface, using a circular motion with the palm of your hand to smooth if out. You should have a smooth and tight ball of dough now. Put it back in the measuring cup.

Step 6

Let the dough rise now for 6 to 12 hours. And then either use it to make a pizza or put it in the frig overnight. Or use half of it to make a pizza now and put the other half in the frig overnight.

Step 7

Pat and roll (with your hands) the dough into a 9 inch circle that is thick at the edges. THE DOUGH SHOULD BE ROOM TEMPERATURE. Don't tear the dough! If you get a hole in the dough, patch it by pinching and folding the dough over the tear. The dough may be elastic so this will take a few minutes. Be patient and let the dough rest a little if it is too elastic.

Step 8

Ladle the sauce over the pizza dough. For the Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Pizza, omit the red sauce. Top pizza with onions and goat cheese. For the pepperoni pizza, top the red sauce with the mozzarella cheese and meats and mushrooms.

Step 9

GRILL THE PIZZA ON THE BIG GREEN EGG AT 700 DEGREES. The grill has been set up with the convector stone on top of the grill grid, and then another PIZZA STONE is on top of the convector stone. This is important because at 700 degrees if you don't elevate that pizza stone it will be too close to the heat (which is coming from the fire below) and the bottom side of the pizza will be scorched. This is very important. OR - GRILL THE PIZZA IN YOUR OONI PIZZA OVEN. IF YOU USE A PIZZA OVEN, MAKE SURE YOU ROTATE THE PIZZA EVERY 10 TO 20 SECONDS.

Step 10

Grill the pizza in the Big Green Egg for about 6 minutes. Watch it carefully so you don't burn the bottom of it! In an OONI oven, the pizza will take about 90 seconds.

Step 11

Sprinkle parmesan cheese or other toppings like red pepper flakes on top of the pizza. Drizzle with oil olive if you want to. Don't burn your mouth on the hot cheese.