Food Safety
*This recipe is an excerpt from Fresh from the Farm Alabama Recipes, FCS-2112.
We hope you enjoy Fresh from the Farm Pizza!
This recipe and more from farmers around the state are also available in Extension publication FCS-2112, Fresh from the Farm Alabama Recipes, a great place to find new ways to use an abundance of fresh produce. The most important thing to remember when trying these recipes, which are farmer favorites, is to buy fresh and buy local. Support our farmers and support our communities.
Laura Spencer, Spencer Farms, Dallas County
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup warm water (90 to 110 degrees F)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 21⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 21⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Sauce
- 4 1⁄2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1⁄3 cup tomato paste
Topping Suggestions
(Choose any or all. As much of each as you like—sliced or diced.)
- Fresh mozzarella
- Sweet peppers
- Jalapeños
- Sweet onions
- Basil
- Baby spinach, kale, arugula
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Bacon or sausage (cooked and crumbled)
- Crumbled feta cheese
Preparation
Crust: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until creamy. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture. Add oil. Stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Cover bowl with damp paper towel until sauce is ready (at least 30 minutes).
Sauce: Mix all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. There’s no need
to cook this sauce. It can also be made ahead and frozen for future pizzas. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Pat or roll into desired shape and size. Lightly grease pizza pan, and dust with cornmeal. Place dough on pizza pan before adding toppings. Top with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and other desired toppings. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is bubbly and crust is toasty brown.
Note: You can make this recipe ahead of time to freeze for lunch boxes or quick dinners. Follow the same steps, but bake for only 5 minutes. Transfer cooled pizza (pan and all) into freezer. When frozen solid, slide pizza off pan into large freezer bag. This also works with mini pizzas for a healthy lunch box meal. To reheat, bake at 450 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until bubbly.
Kristin Woods, Regional Extension Agent, Food Safety, Preparation, and Preservation
Reviewed July 2022, Fresh from the Farm Pizza, FCS-2146