Basic Pizza Dough

Hmm.. I love homemade pizza! In our house, we do 1/2 chz (for plain ol' jane me) and 1/2 ham & pineapple for The Hubby. I've tried several pizza dough recipes and this one is my favorite. Not only does the dough taste good, but it only takes 45 minutes to rise! How wonderful. This recipe was taken from my top food idol, Paula Deen.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 3/4 c. warm water
1 1/4 ounces pkg active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
3 tbsp. olive oil

Measure out 1-3/4 c. warm water in a bowl (it should be pleasantkly warm on your wrist). Sprinkle the yeast on top of the watr and allow it to activate, about 10 minutes.

Put the salt and 2 cups of the flour into a food processor. Pulse 5 times to blend. Pour in the yeast and water and pulse 5 times. Add the olive oils. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, pulsng and scraping the sides of the bowl until well blended. As soon as the mixture is combined, dump it out onto a well-floured board and knead for 15 turns. The dough will become smooth and elastic-like.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 45 minute, until doubled in size, and then punch it down.

I roll my dough out and place it in one cookie sheet, or you can cut the dough in half and it makes 2 12 in. round pizzas. I bake mine at 425 deg. for 15 minutes and we love it!

Shrimp Quesadilla's

This recipe has a great combination of flavors that I kick myself for not thinking of it before! I made this for our sunday dinner, and it was quite delicious. Since I had a little extra time, I went above and beyond and made homemade tortilla's. WOW. They were soo good! They were thick and soft, and it added just the extra touch of love to the meal. I served it with spanish rice, found in any Mexican food aisle in the grocery store. This would also make a great appetizer, if you're looking for something to serve other than chips and salsa.

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Shrimp Quesadilla’s
(Courtesy of Betty Crocker’s Fix-it-Fast Family Favorites)

8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese with jalapeno peppers (I used regular cheese)
1 large tomato, chopped
½ cup real bacon pieces (I used ½ lb. real bacon, chopped)
1 package frozen cooked salad shrimp, rinsed and thawed

1. Heat 10-in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 tortilla in skillet. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of the cheese and ¼ each of the tomato, bacon, and shrimp. Sprinkle with additional ¼ cup of the cheese. Top with another tortilla.
2. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom is golden brown; turn. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer or until bottom is golden brown.
3. Repeat three more times with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into wedges


Texas Flour Tortillas
(Courtesy of Homesick Texan)

Two cups of all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
¾ cups of warm milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed
Knead dough for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough ahs rested, break of eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out into proper thickness or shape.
After dough has rested, one at a time place dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a 4-in circle, and them roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter.
Don’t overwork the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.