Mrs. LeTendre's Pizza

See what happens when the well-iced, perfectly proportioned old fashioneds are replenished by Mr. Restaurant Quality? I blog more than one recipe.

Tonight, I made Mrs. LeTendre's pizza. Man oh man (as my Dad would say), was it good!!!

This is the pizza that Mrs. LeTendre would make for us (yesterday, when we were young), at midnight, when a group of us would show up at her house, after being at The Old House. 'Us' is defined as The Solid Four (four high school friends, one of which is Mrs. LeTendre's daughter [Ms. Mukilteo], Ms. Mequon, Ms. Verrado, and myself). With us might be any number of boyfriends, associated hangers-on, and papparazzi.

Ang (as we called her, but NEVER to her face; she always was and forever will be Mrs. LeTendre), would get out of bed and make fresh pizza for us.

We'd be coming home, after a night at The Old House, a teen bar in Port Washington. Don't get me started on those stories.....................And for sure, don't get Ms. Mequon started! (Those were the days when the 'drinking' age was 21, but if you were between ages 18 and 21, you could go to teen bars and drink beer. All teen bars were outside the City of Milwaukee. And, they all had great bands --- ahhhh, The Chevrons. 'When A Man Loves A Woman......')

Back to pizza. I haven't made Mrs. LeTendre's pizza in years, because I could not get the dough to rise, even when following Mrs. LeTendre's recipe.

Well, Ms. Verrado tells me she often makes Mrs. LeTendre's pizza. How does Ms. Verrado get that dough to rise, I have often pondered.

Today, Mr. Restaurant Quality asked for homemade pizza. (He is one of the aforementioned 'boyfriends', so when he asks for homemade pizza, I know he wants Mrs. LeTendre's pizza.) Ok, say I, I'll try it.

I was experiencing 'yeast dough' anxiety, knowing I cannot get that dough to rise. So, using a bridge from the '60s to the '00s, I went online. I googled 'homemade pizza dough' and found that one must mix water, yeast and sugar, and let it REST for five minutes to get it's groove on (god, that is sooooo '60s, don't you think).

So, alert and aware, I raised my sword and moved forward..............

I bring you: Mrs. LeTendre's Pizza, and man oh man, is it good.


Mrs. LeTendre's Pizza

475 degrees


3/4 cup warm water
1 pkg dry active yeast
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 T. oil
2 cups all purpose flour
Cornmeal, for the pan

Sauce:

Tomato puree
Italian seasoning

Toppings:
Whatever says 'pizza' to you

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese


Mix water, yeast and sugar. Let rest for five minutes. (I did this in a one cup glass measuring cup.) The yeast mixture will really come alive (read that to mean slightly bubbly).

In medium size bowl: add the salt, oil, flour and yeast mixture. Stir until dough comes together.

On a floured surface, knead the dough. About 10 turns.

Butter a medium size bowl and place kneaded dough into bowl. Once you place the dough into the bowl, flip it over. (the dough, not the bowl --- as pointed out to me by Ms. Oconomowoc). Cover with a towel and let rise. (I just placed the bowl on a kitchen counter.) Let rise for 45 minutes.

Punch down risen dough.

Roll out on floured surface. Roll it into a rectangle.

Butter a jelly roll pan.

Sprinkle corn meal over the surface of the pan.

Place the dough on the pan and press dough into corners of the pan, and up sides of the pan, if you like.

Spoon on the sauce.

Add toppings.

Spread shredded mozzarella cheese over the entire pizza.

Bake at 475 degrees. Start watching pizza at 10 minutes, for desired degree of doneness.


My Notes:

Regarding 'warm' water. I don't use any thermometer to measure the warmth of the water. I just run the water over my hand until I think it feels warm, NOT hot.

Tomato puree for the sauce: I can only find the 28 oz size can of tomato puree; can't find a 14 oz can. Ideally, the 14 oz can is all you need. But, you may have to settle for the 28 oz size. Not a big deal. Here's what I do: open the can of sauce and add to the can the amount of Italian seasoning that looks good to you. I'd say about 2 T. Mix it up. There's your sauce.

Spoon on as much sauce as you like. I use about 1/3 of a 28 oz can. (I froze the remainder.)

The toppings: tonight, I made half pepperoni/mushroom for Mr. RestaurantQuality and half cheese/tomato for me. This pizza can handle whatever you throw on it.

The Magic Of The Pizza Stone: I have a round baking stone from Pampered Chef. Heretofore, I shall call it My Pizza Stone. If you have any 'stone' baking sheets (round, rectangle) they make great pizza stones. I used my pizza stone, tonight. Pre-heated the oven to 475 WITH the stone in the oven. I have a round stone, so rolled my dough into somewhat of a round shape. When oven was ready, I removed the stone. Sprinkled cornmeal all over the stone. Placed the dough on the stone, then did the sauce, toppings, and cheese. Then baked. Very crispy, which is how Mr. RestaurantQuality and I like our pizza.

Sub-note: Had more dough than round pizza stone could handle. Cut off excess dough. Re-rolled into a very small quasi-rectangle and placed on a buttered, 'cornmealed' cookie sheet. Added sauce, toppings, cheese and baked, as above. Turned out really well.

Life is good.................