Spoon pizza

Spoon Pizza: The Delight You Can Enjoy with Your Hands

Welcome to the wonderful world of cooking, where every recipe is a story and every ingredient has something to say. Today, I will teach you how to make Spoon Pizza, a playful and tasty twist on classic pizza, perfect for parties or a family dinner. This recipe combines a crispy dough, delicious toppings of cheese, tomato sauce, and basil, all presented in the form of appetizing spoons. Let’s begin our culinary adventure!

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour
Baking time: 15-20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Servings: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

For the dough:
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 and a half cups of warm water
- 10 g fresh yeast (a walnut-sized piece)
- ½ teaspoon of sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce:
- ½ can of peeled tomatoes
- ½ cup of water
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

For the topping:
- 200 g soft Delaco cheese
- Fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
- 1 large tomato, diced

Making the dough:

1. Activating the yeast: Start by activating the yeast. In a small bowl, mix the yeast with a tablespoon of warm milk and ½ teaspoon of sugar. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until it becomes frothy. This step is essential for getting a fluffy and airy dough.

2. Mixing the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, oregano, and basil. These spices will add the characteristic pizza flavor, and the salt will strengthen the gluten in the flour.

3. Adding the wet ingredients: In the center of the dry ingredients, make a well and add the activated yeast, warm water, and olive oil. Mix with a spatula or your hands until you get a homogeneous dough.

4. Kneading: Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes on a lightly floured surface. If you feel bold, you can toss the dough up a few times to aerate the mixture. It’s an old technique, but it can work wonders!

5. Letting the dough rise: Place the dough in a bowl greased with a little oil, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour. Make sure the towel doesn’t smell like fabric softener, as we want the aroma of the lovely dough to be natural.

Making the sauce:

1. Boiling the ingredients: In a small pot, add the peeled tomatoes, water, crushed garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, sugar, and olive oil. Boil the mixture over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the spices to your liking. If you're short on time, you can use ketchup from the fridge – mom won’t mind!

Forming the Spoon Pizza:

1. Preparing the shape: After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a sheet about 1 cm thick.

2. Cutting the shapes: Using a knife or a special cutter, cut the dough into spoon shapes. Make sure the top part is wider, and the tails are long, so they look like real spoons.

3. Final details: With the tip of a knife, make cross-cuts in the dough that represent the tails of the spoons to create a more interesting look.

4. Adding the sauce and toppings: Brush each “spoon” with tomato sauce, sprinkle soft cheese pieces and diced tomatoes. Add basil leaves for an extra touch of freshness and flavor.

Baking:

1. Preheating the oven: Before placing the Spoon Pizza in the oven, preheat it to 200 degrees Celsius. This will help the dough become crispy and brown nicely.

2. Baking: Place the “spoons” on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are golden and crispy.

Serving:

After you take the Spoon Pizza out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes. You can serve them warm, straight from the tray, alongside a garlic yogurt sauce or a chili sauce for a bit of spice. These delicious “spoons” are perfect for enjoying with your hands, making them ideal for a party or game night.

Variations and useful tips:

- Topping variations: You can experiment with various toppings, adding mushrooms, olives, or even some slices of prosciutto. Let your imagination run wild!
- Dough alternative: If you don’t have time to make the dough from scratch, you can use frozen pizza dough or even tortillas. These will provide a quick and delicious base for Spoon Pizza.
- Being creative with sauces: Instead of tomato sauce, you can use a white sauce based on cream or a pesto sauce for a different taste.

Nutritional benefits:

This recipe is not only tasty but also packed with nutrients. The whole wheat flour used in the dough provides fiber, while tomatoes and basil bring essential vitamins and antioxidants. The soft cheese offers protein and calcium, essential for a balanced diet.

Frequently asked questions:

- Can I use whole wheat flour? Yes, you can replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier dough.
- How much yeast should I use? A walnut-sized piece of fresh yeast is enough to make the dough fluffy and tasty.
- Can I freeze Spoon Pizza? Absolutely! You can freeze Spoon Pizza before baking. Then, when you crave them, you can bake them straight from the freezer, just that it will take a bit longer.

Spoon Pizza is a simple, fun, and extremely delicious recipe, perfect for any occasion. Whether you serve it at a gathering with friends or as a fun dinner for the family, it will surely bring smiles and joy. Don’t hesitate to share this recipe with your loved ones and enjoy every bite!

 Ingredients: For a baking tray: If you have time to knead and let it rise, you can use this dough recipe inspired by Adi Hadean: 3 cups of white flour type 650; 1 and a half cups of water; a piece of yeast (about ten grams) soaked in a tablespoon of milk with 1/2 tsp of sugar; a pinch of salt and one of sugar; a teaspoon of dried oregano; one of dried basil; three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Topping: the sauce - 1/2 can of peeled tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water, two cloves of garlic, one tablespoon of oregano, one tablespoon of ground cumin, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil; 200 g of soft Delaco cheese; a few green basil leaves cut into thin strips or even dried basil from packets! 1 large tomato diced.

 Tags:  pizza delaco mini pizza