Quick and Easy Last Minute Pizza

Homemade pizza is usually something you have to think about in advance.  You need to make the dough and have the toppings cooked and available.  But homemade pizza doesn't have to take a lot of prep.  By putting foods up all through the summer and having Five Minute Bread dough on hand in the fridge, homemade pizza is a snap to make.  

I had a batch of dough in my container in the refrigerator, and I needed to use the rest of it. I've also been trying to use as much out of the freezer as possible, in part because there's not much at the market right now.  As I dug through the freezer I pulled out a jar of pesto, some roasted tomatoes, a little frozen sausage, and a container of Roasted Garlic and Herb pasta sauce.  I sliced up a ball of fresh mozzarella and started throwing everything together.  

I made two small pizza crusts by rolling the Five Minute dough into a round and then stretching it until it was fairly thin.  On one pizza, I put a couple of spoonfuls of pesto and spread it around to make a thin layer.  Some chopped artichoke hearts and roasted tomatoes were sprinkled over the pesto, and it was topped with sliced mozzarella and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

The other pizza was topped with some Roasted Garlic and Herb pasta sauce that I boiled down until it was thick (almost like a paste) with a sprinkle of sugar.  I then topped it with browned crumbles of locally made sausage and slices of mozzarella.  

Both pizzas were baked on a preheated pizza stone in a 450 degree oven until they were bubbly, brown, and the crusts were crisp.  

The combinations for pizzas are endless, and having this dough on hand makes homemade pizza possible in less than 30 minutes making it a winner for weeknights when time is short.  

The recipes below are approximations.  Use your best judgement when it comes to how much sauce, toppings, etc. to put on our pizza, and when determining if your pizza is finished baking. I use ingredients I have preserved over summer (except the artichokes), so unless you have these same ingredients on hand, you will need to find the equivalent in your market or grocery.  Sun dried tomatoes can stand in for the roasted tomatoes, store-bought pesto will work fine, and your favorite pasta or pizza sauce will work.   

Artichoke and Roasted Tomato Pizza- makes one 9-inch pizza

1 ball of Five Minute Bread dough about the size of your fist
Additional flour for rolling and stretching dough
2 Tbsp pesto plus more as needed 
1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
6 roasted tomato halves, drained and chopped
4 thin slices fresh mozzarella, about 4 oz. 
1-2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cornmeal for dusting

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place a pizza stone inside the oven to heat while you make the pizza.  Roll the dough into a ball and then into a circle using a floured rolling pin.  Using your hands, stretch the dough into a 9 inch circle by gently pulling and stretching it from the center outward.  Place the dough on a pizza peel that has been dusted with cornmeal.  Spread pesto on dough almost to the edge.  Layer the artichokes and tomatoes over the pesto.  Top with the cheeses. Slide the pizza off the peel and onto the hot stone.  Bake until crust is crisp and pizza is bubbly, approximately 15 minutes.  

Sausage and Mozzarella Pizza- makes one 9-inch pizza

1 ball of Five Minute Bread dough about the size of your fist
Additional flour for rolling and stretching dough
2 Tbsp Roasted Garlic and Herb Pasta sauce that has been boiled down until thick with a sprinkling of sugar, or your favorite pasta or pizza sauce
2-3 Tbsp cooked, crumbled sausage, about 2 oz. 
4 thin slices fresh mozzarella, about 4 oz. 
Cornmeal for dusting

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place a pizza stone inside the oven to heat while you make the pizza.  Roll the dough into a ball and then into a circle using a floured rolling pin.  Using your hands, stretch the dough into a 9 inch circle by gently pulling and stretching it from the center outward.  Place the dough on a pizza peel that has been dusted with cornmeal.  Spread pasta sauce on dough almost to the edge.  Sprinkle the cooked sausage over the sauce.  Top with the slices of cheese.  Slide the pizza off the peel and onto the hot stone.  Bake until crust is crisp and pizza is bubbly, approximately 15 minutes.  

Printable Version of Artichoke and Roasted Tomato Pizza
Printable Version of Sausage and Mozzarella Pizza