Pizza dough, not in the bread machine

This is one of the recipes I used to use to make pizza dough before I got the bread machine. I got the recipe from some free magazine at a health food store. The recipe claims to make two 12" pizza crusts, but I generally got one. However I think my pizza pan is like 18" or something. Also, the recipe does call for half wheat and half white flour but I've made it with all wheat and it comes out fine.

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz.)
1 1/2 C warm water
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C plus 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 T freshly chopped herbs, optional
1 T olive oil
1 T honey or maple syrup

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes.
Mix flours, salt, and herbs (if using). Add yeast mixture, oil, and honey or maple syrup and mix well.
Place dough on a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Add enough all-purpose flour, 1 T at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place the dough in a bowl coated with oil or cooking spray and turn to coat. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, or until double in size.
Punch dough down and let rest for 5 mins. Divide into two balls (if you want to make the 12" pizzas) or just spread the whole crust onto a larger pizza pan.

Easy eggplant mini-pizzas

Yesterday I was thinking, "what to do with the leftover chicken? I really want to make chicken pizzas, but...I don't feel like dealing with the dough." Then I remembered I had an eggplant! And so I decided to try this recipe. It worked out pretty well and is yummy.

1 large purple eggplant
pizza toppings and cheese of your choice
cheese(s) of your choice
pizza sauce
olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Cut the eggplant into 1/2" thick round slices. Brush each side lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you would like. Grill eggplant slices on the grill, turning once, until they are slightly soft (if you usually cook eggplant you know what I'm sayin'.) I'm thinking you could also saute the slices in a pan as well if you don't have a grill or don't wish to grill them. Take slices off grill, bring indoors. Heat oven to 350. Arrange eggplant slices on a plate, pyrex dish, or cookie sheet/pizza pan. Top each slice with sauce and desired toppings. Place dish in oven and bake until cheese melts.

I was going to do the oven part on the grill as well, but I was really afraid that the eggplant slices would burn on the bottoms, so that's why I put them in the oven.

Really quite good, and vegetarian if you aren't putting the chicken on top like I did :). I'm thinking kids might like these...the individual "pizzas" are cute sized, they reminded me of the English Muffin pizzas I would make as a kid.

3-Cheese Vegetarian Pizza

This isn't really much of a recipe, per se, it's just something the kids and I usually eat on the weekends because I'm a big pushover. Also, I really am not a huge fan of making my own pizza dough, so when I feel espescially lazy I use the premade Barilla shells. They aren't as good, but they are much faster.

Crust:
Any basic recipe for pizza dough works, BUT:
I add 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried basil to the dough.
You can even use the boxed crust mix and just add herbs to it.

Toppings:
Pesto sauce OR pizza sauce (jarred is fine)
artichoke hearts
chopped spinach
sliced tomatoes
mushrooms
cooked broccoli florets
mozzarella cheese (fresh, sliced)
crumbled feta
grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Make your dough according to whichever recipe you normally use plus the herbs. Press it out onto a greased pizza pan.
2. Spread pesto or pizza sauce, as you like, over the crust. Lay slices of mozzarella to cover sauce.
3. Layer vegetables atop cheese. Sprinkle feta over veggies and grated parm over feta.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until crust is crisp and brown and veggies are soft.

If you don't already use fresh mozzarella when you make pizza, shame on you!! Processed shredded cheese does not compare. Also, chopped basil leaves on top of the sauce give it a really good flavor, if you are as big a fan of basil as I am (especially if you are using the preprepared crust). I also sometimes brush the crust with oil before cooking and then sprinkle sesame seed on it, so they toast while in the oven. Yum!

Pizza dough, the bread machine version

1 C warm water
3/4 t salt
2 T olive or vegetable oil
3 C whole wheat flour *
2 t bread machine yeast
cornmeal (if desired)

*This recipe actually calls for white or bread flour. However, being the rebel I am, I tried 100% KA whole wheat and it worked out fine. I've tried various combos of whole wheat/white flour (sometimes 50/50, etc) and it always came out fine. Carlos prefers white so I make it that way these days but whatever you want to use is good. All I recommend if you use whole wheat is that you use King Arthur or something similar; it's much finer than Hodgson Mills brand which is very hard to rise.

Use 1-lb recipe if your brad machine holds 10 C or less of water. Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer (I add them...in the order they are on the recipe!!!)

Put bread machine on dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove douth to lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in additional flour to make dough easy to handle.

Lightly oil the pizza pan(s), springkle with cornmeal. NOTE: This recipe makes enough for 1 regular-sized pizza pan. I sometimes double the recipe if Carlos wants his own pizza. Roll or press to fit into prepared pizza pan(s). Add toppings, bbake at 400 20-30 mins until done.

I have another dough recipe that is not for the bread machine. I just need to find it!