Score points with homemade pizza

Detroit Free Press (MCT) - Pizza is a star player on the snacks scene because it's easy to serve and to hold. Making pizza with all your favorite toppings at home is as easy as pie and fun for everyone.

Pizza makers run into trouble when they load the pie with too many toppings and too much cheese _ and when the crust is just plain flimsy.

This recipe _ Pizza Bianca _ has a flavorful crust that is sturdy and universal. It's typically topped with a drizzling of olive oil, some coarse salt and fresh herbs. Served this way, Pizza Bianca makes a great snacking bread; add some toppings to turn it into a bite-size pizza treat.

This recipe was adapted from several sources. The dough is sticky and not rolled out, but turns out a crust that's chewy and airy. It takes just 10 minutes to make.

The dough _ which consists of only flour, yeast, water and salt _ costs about $1 to make. Making your own dough allows you to doctor it up with herbs, cheese and favorite seasonings.

Many stores also sell fresh and frozen pizza dough. One brand, Tiseo's Frozen Pizza Dough, is made in Sterling Heights, Mich., and sold in a 1-pound package.

Tiseo's owner Linda Nevedal-Tiseo says the hand-rolled dough can be used to make rolls, focaccia bread and calzones.

Be sure to give the dough enough time to thaw _ usually overnight _ and to rise. Once thawed, the dough will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Another source for pizza dough is your local pizza place. Ask them if they'll sell you some dough.

In today's recipe, after allowing the dough to rise, you can divide it and make two 8-inch round pizzas. Or do what we did and make a large rectangular pizza in a jelly-roll pan. Bake it 8 to 10 minutes to set the dough and then add toppings. Cut into 2-inch squares and you'll get 24 snack-size pieces.

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PIZZA BIANCA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Makes: 24 pieces / Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus 2 hours dough rising time)

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

This is easiest to make in a stand mixer, but can be prepared in a large mixing bowl, too.

PROOFING

1/3 cup warm water

Ľ teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons fast-rising yeast

DOUGH

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups water, room temperature

1 Ľ teaspoons salt

1 ľ teaspoons sugar

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon coarse or kosher salt

Fresh chopped herbs, optional

TOPPINGS

2 links (4 ounces each) favorite Italian sausage

1 medium onion, peeled, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

4 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned, sliced

ľ cup favorite pizza sauce

4 ounces shredded fontina cheese

1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

Fit the mixer with the dough hook. In the mixing bowl, combine the water, sugar and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes. It will become foamy or bubbly. Add the flour, water, regular salt , sugar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix well, about 5 minutes or until the flour is incorporated.

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Turn mixer to high and knead for 8-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and seems to pull toward the dough hook rather than just reach for the sides of the bowl, as the mixer turns. Dough will immediately relax when mixer is turned off.

Oil a large bowl with a small amount of olive oil, place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, until it has almost tripled in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. Cut the casings from the sausage. In a large skillet, place the sausage and cook while crumbling it until cooked through. Remove to paper towels. Add the onion to the same skillet and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes, and then sprinkle with the brown sugar. Remove the onion and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the same skillet and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Coat a 10-by-15-inch jelly-roll pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Pour the risen dough into pan _ it is a loose mixture. With oiled fingertips press the dough toward the sides of the pan and into the corners. Let dough rest for 10 minutes, then brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with coarse or kosher salt.

Bake for about 12 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown. Spread with some sauce, scatter onions all over, add the mushrooms and crumbled sausage. Sprinkle with the cheeses. Return to the oven and continue baking about 8 minutes more.

Remove from the oven and remove pizza from pan and place on a wire cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cooled.

Cook's note: To make focaccia bread, after the dough has baked 12 minutes, sprinkle the top with fresh chopped herbs.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated magazine, February 2008 issue.

Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis per 1 piece.

127 calories (35 percent from fat ), 5 grams fat (2 grams sat. fat ), 15 grams carbohydrates , 5 grams protein , 429 mg sodium , 12 mg cholesterol , 37 mg calcium , 1 gram fiber .

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© 2009, Detroit Free Press.