beer and pizza....

While stumbling* one night, I came upon the blog Betcha Can't Eat Just One and saw this recipe for pizza dough.  Pizza dough made with beer?  Ummmm, yes please!  In the past, I have not had the best of luck with pizza dough recipes so I was nervous.  I stopped by the store and picked up a variety of beer... I decided to use a Sierra Nevada Stout for the pizza and drink a Shiner Hefeweizen.  Both were excellent choices.  This recipe is a keeper!  It is quick, easy and delicious. 

I love that this recipe makes two good-size pizzas because Josh and I like different toppings.  For his (pictured), I used pepperoni, mushrooms and some leftover hot italian sausage.  For mine, I used some diced tomatoes, artichokes and leftover rotisserie chicken.  His would have been better if the sausage had not gone bad.. oops.  He still ate it (weirdo) and said he really liked it.

Please excuse my pathetic excuse for "serious photography".. I'm working on it.

Beer ‘n’ Pizza Dough

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp beer (I used a darker beer and it was very good... I have not tried it yet with a lighter beer)
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt

If your beer is cold, warm it up a little bit in the microwave or else your yeast won’t cooperate.  It should be tepid, a little warmer than room temp.

Whisk the honey and yeast into the beer and set it aside for a few minutes until it bubbles to be sure your yeast is active.  Add the olive oil, salt and flour and knead until you have a smooth soft dough.

Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for about an hour or until it doubles in bulk.

Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll on a lightly floured surface or a piece of parchment.

Transfer to a pan or a pizza peel

Top the dough with your choice of fixings and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.

Brush the hot crusts with extra virgin olive oil.

Slice and serve!



* I stumbled upon this recipe using the aptly named "stumbleupon" app on my phone.  It is a very cool app... an excellent time waster!