Thin Crust Pizza and Easy-Peasy Tomato Sauce

When I received Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook My Father's Daughter for Easter, I found myself surprised by two things in it.

1) I really, really like her philosophy about food. It's meant to bring people together, shouldn't leave you frustrated in the kitchen, and, really, no one needs to get all pretentious about it. Love this, especially the idea of a pretension free kitchen. I think I've made my feelings pretty clear about those bloggers who are strictly in this business so they can become the next Pioneer Woman and those who feel that when it comes to food and recipes, there's a clear right and wrong.

I just don't have time for that nonsense. Since I believe food is all about bringing people together, I hardly see how snobbery fits with that.

Bring in the love, push out the jive.

So, I love that a big name actress with a big name husband subscribes to the same philosophy. Awesome. If only everyone got on board. I guess there'll always be haters, and those who need to feel superior by hurting others.

2) Gwyneth Paltrow is SO not afraid of the fat. I'm insanely jealous of how gorgeously thin she is, because, let me tell you, this is no low cal recipe. It is, however, honest and totally, totally amazing. So, I find myself wanting to hate her guts, but can't bring myself to do it. She rocks my world right now.

Tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil. YES.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Wood Oven Pizza (without the wood oven)

(from My Father's Daughter)

Ingredients

2¼ cups warm water, divided
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp + 1 tsp active dry yeast (3 packages)
5 cups all-purpose flour (Gwyneth uses bread flour, but I was out)
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coarse salt

Directions

1. Mix 3/4 cup warm water with white sugar in a large bowl until it is dissolved. Sprinkle surface with yeast. Set aside to proof.

2. Once it has proofed, stir in remaining water, 3½ cups flour, olive oil and salt. Add in additional flour, ½ cup at a time, until mixture no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. Dump onto a generously floured work space and knead for about 8 minutes, incorporating more flour if needed (1 tbsp at a time), until dough is smooth and elastic.

If there are fewer than, say 4 of you eating, divide the dough in two and put one half in a freezer bag and store for later use. To use, place in the fridge to thaw and rise the night before you want to use.

3. Place (remaining) dough ball in a greased bowl, tossing to coat completely. Cover and set aside at room temperature until doubled (or place in the fridge to rise for several hours).

4. If you're like me and don't have a wood burning oven in your garden, preheat your oven, with your pizza stone in it, to the hottest it will go. Let the stone heat up in there for the better part of 1 hour.

5. To make bases, divide the dough into either 8 pieces (if you didn't put half into the freezer) or 4 pieces (if you did set dough aside for later). Stretch with your hands until dough is quite thin.

It's important to NOT use a rolling pin here, because you'll crush all those delicious air bubbles if you do.

6. Place dough on a floured pizza peel (or make-shift peel) before topping with sauce and toppings. Transfer to pizza stone and bake until slightly charred, with a bubbling top, about 6-7 minutes (if your oven is better than ours, and I assume it is, it will take less time).

See all those bubbles? That's where happiness lies.

Doesn't that sauce look fantastic? Make it while the dough is rising. It's dead easy. AND, it makes more than enough, so you can put some in the freezer for a later date.

Also, if I may... buffalo mozzarella, where have you been all my life? YUM.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
1 tsp coarse salt

Directions

1. Heat oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, their juices and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour, until sauce has reduced and has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, puree in a blender to desired consistency.

See? Easy.

I will never buy sauce again.

We made 4 kinds of pizza: salami (Rowe Farms) and buffalo mozzarella (Nancy's Cheese), 3 cheese (mozzarella, Bleu Bénédictin and Parmesan) with white truffle oil (my favourite), mozzarella and basil with a drizzle of olive oil and a salami, mozzarella and blue cheese number.

That was a TON of pizza for the two of us.

Or at least, I thought it was a ton. My husband thought it was just right.

I'd say it serves 4-6 regular human being with a salad on the side. On its own, 3-4.