An Owner's Manual for home Pizza cooks,
Hundreds of tips from Boise's famous Pizzeria.

By Howard Olivier

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You may not have put a pizza parlour in our area, but the dough mix is the next best thing.  It's GREAT! Thanks again." - The Zurcher Family       Payette, ID Note: At the present time, our dough mix is not available via retail.  For those of you in the Boise area, we do sell our dough (all three favors!) fresh, at $2 per pound.

All a pizza was at first was a way to use up leftover bread dough. Squish it flat, put some stuff on it and bake it. All the tricky stuff is in trying to take it to higher levels.

We're here to help you solve as many of those obstacles as you have interest in. Dive in! Mix up a couple batches of dough, grate up some cheese and make a batch of sauce. Now get started familiarizing yourself with your oven and pizza pan or stone.

Keep notes on what you did! That way, when you hook the big one, you'll be able to do it again.

As your confidence builds, branch out to more exotic toppings! And don't forget the Mus-go pizza (everything in the fridge mus-go).

Once you've made a few pizzas on your own to get the hang of it, here's a great idea: Have a pizza party where everyone brings a topping or some key ingredient. You do the dough (5 minutes of work). Anyone who shows up empty handed does the clean-up. Use your new-found knowledge to supervise the construction.
 

It does take some getting used to the fact that yeast doughs will rise in the refrigerator, but it's what we do with about 2000 pounds of dough a week at our restaurants and there is no substitute or shortcut that can achieve similar results. This technique will work great with any yeast risen dough and moves a major step to the day before!

We encountered several other obstacles in the process of transferring our pizza restaurant knowledge to our home kitchens. Area #1 - You can't buy the exact same cheese, etc. that the restaurant can. We often have to settle for close approximations because of this. Using things available in supermarkets to make our pizzas is sometimes a major challenge.

Area #2 - Home ovens are very different from restaurant ovens and the variance between home ovens is large and difficult to account for.

Area #3 - Our recipes are based on very large batches and scales accurate to 100th of a pound, neither of which is reasonable to expect in a home kitchen.

Area #4 - We have Prep People. They are amazing! They get everything all set so that we can get a pizza in the oven in about a minute! Wow! The trick at home is to Be Your Own Prep Person. If you do this, the actual pizza making will take about as long as the oven takes to preheat.

We've already gone over the biggest piece of being your own prep person; making the dough the day before. This not only splits up the work, it also makes a better quality pizza crust! Sauce is the next biggest thing; it can be done ahead of time also. Our sauce recipe makes enough for about 8 12" pizzas. What you can do is make a batch and pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then dump the sauce cubes into a ziplock bag and put them back in the freezer. Now they're ready for you any time.

If you have a food processor, do the dough first, then the cheese, then the mushrooms. Then clean up the machine. Wow! We suggest you do the onions and green peppers by hand as food processors generally mangle them. Pay attention to how thick you slice them. By varying that thickness you can control how thoroughly the onions and green peppers will cook, depending on your preference. Most people like chunks about 1/4" thick.
 

Having some dough, grated cheese and your favorite sauce in your freezer gives you power; the power to make a great pizza any day you want with minimal work. Portion your dough, cheese and sauce before you freeze them. Sauce cubes can be thawed in the microwave. Dough and cheese can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight, on the counter for 3-4 hours, or in a bowl of water in about an hour (if you're thawing in a bowl of water, be sure that the bag has no holes!). Cheese should be thawed in cool water. Dough can be thawed in a big bowl of very warm water. It will cool the water down as the dough warms up. The dough ball will sink at first. Then, after about an hour it will float. That's when you know it's ready to use! Also, using your freezer will allow you to buy in larger quantities and when stuff is on sale.
 

PIZZA STONE- retrofits your oven to make it act like a commercial pizza oven (see ). Pizza stones are specifically made for baking pizzas. They are usually ceramic, round and heavy (the heavier, the better). Pizza stones are thicker than tiles, the same shape as pizzas and last a little longer if you take care of them. The best one we have found is a terra cotta 16" stone that we used to have produced for us. It is attractive, durable and cooks very evenly. No other pizza stone we have tested works as well and some are prone to breakage.

The least expensive way to go is to get a 12" square, high fired ceramic floor tile. Un-glazed is preferable, but glazed will work pretty darned well. Total cost $4.00-8.00.

PADDLE (or peel)- very nice for putting pizzas in and taking them out of the oven.

PIZZA CUTTER- not a little toy one, get the kind the pros use- cuts pizzas easier and faster. Essential for stirring pizzas and cutting rim (go here).

PIZZA SERVER- No use in cooking, but it sure makes serving a breeze. Also works great for apple pie!

PIZZA PAN- We sell a nice 16" diameter one, just like we use in the restaurant. It is suitable for both cooking and serving your pizza.

TIMER- Radio Shack carries an amazing dual timer with memory (model #63-1602) for about $10.00.  It is slightly better than the Micronta 63-884 we used to
recommend.

SCALE- Best Products carries a great home scale that can tare (re-set to zero) and utilizes either ounces or grams. It's mechanical (no batteries) and made by Braun. Again, about $15.00 (# UKW1).

PIZZA TOPPING VIEWFINDER- Very useful for deciding how much of any particular topping to put on. It's free! (go here).
 

After the dough, the next most important taste challenge is a great sauce. The factors that you have to keep in mind are the consistency (how watery it is), texture (how chunky it is), and the balance of spices. The simplest improved sauce you can make is to buy a 14 oz. jar of prepared pizza sauce and add a 6 oz. can of tomato paste. This will "kick up" the tomato flavor, dilute the salt and will make the sauce substantially thicker.

Our sauce recipe (go here) is even better! It closely resembles the sauce we use in the Flying Pie restaurants and it does not require any cooking.

Another kind of sauce you can use is Pesto sauce. Pesto sauce is an herb sauce generally built out of basil leaves. The flavor is intense so it can quickly overpower other flavors, unless you use a very light hand with it. You can buy pesto sauce at the supermarket, from us at Flying Pie, or you can make your own! Our recipe is in the back of this owners manual. Try using about 3 tablespoons on a 12" pizza as a starting point.

Other sauce ideas that we utilize are: plain olive oil, BBQ sauce, mustard, melted butter, alfredo sauce, a mexican refried bean mixture, chili or cocktail sauce (for seafood pizza). We also make some pizzas with no sauce. An interesting point: the cheese (especially cheddar) will interact with the dough to create the illusion of a sauce similar to melted butter.
 

By far the most popular cheese for pizza is MOZZARELLA. Mozzarella has a buttery smooth flavor and it melts, browns and "strings" better than other cheeses. At the Flying Pie, we use whole milk mozzarella, as "part skim" varieties have a tendency to develop a skin, brown differently and have less string.

Some of our pizzas also have PROVOLONE on them. Provolone is a smokey flavored cheese that adds character to the pizza. While we have heard of places using all provolone cheese, it would probably take some getting used to.

CHEDDAR works well, in a blend. Cheddar has a lower melting point, so if you use only cheddar, it tends to liquify and separate, except in thinner pizzas with short cooking times. MONTERY JACK has the same low melting point, so both of these limit the amount of toppings you can pile on. Whenever you use these cheeses, let the pizza set up for a few minutes before cutting.

The amount of cheese to use on your pizza is up to personal taste and budget, but here are some guidelines: We use up to 1/2 pound cheese on a 12" pizza. That's not a world record, but it isn't light either. On a 12" pizza, 1/4 lb. is light and 2/3 lb. is right at the edge of uncookable. In other words, by the time the cheese is completely melted, the toppings and crust are going to be over done.

SOFT CHEESES: goat cheese, cream cheese, etc. can't be grated or sliced (we've warned you). So what you do is use the fresh ground meats technique to spread them out (go here). These cheeses are especially good in Zappies (go here).
 

TOMATOES

Tomatoes are great diced or sliced and cooked on the pizza, or sliced and put on top after cooking. We use Roma tomatoes because:

1. They're the right size for a pizza topping.
2. The distinctive taste and texture seems to compliment pizzas better than regular salad tomatoes.
3. They are heartier and less watery.

MUSHROOMS

We use fresh mushrooms which shrink dramatically during the cooking process. With a little practice (and reflection) you will be able to get the amounts right- it's kind of like buying shrink-to-fit jeans. Slice very thin (a food processor works best for this). Mushrooms always go before other vegetables because they are a heat shield.

GARLIC

Whenever you're using fresh garlic, there are a couple of key tips. Fresh garlic needs to be placed at the very top of the pizza. If you bury it, the flavor will be greatly diminished and the chance of indigestion greatly increased! Also, put about 3/4 of the total amount of garlic in the center 3" of the pizza. That way the first two bites of every slice will have plenty of garlic. Otherwise, you'll have to use four times as much to have to same perceived taste, or spend the whole dinner searching for garlic you know you put on the pizza. Try this technique, we think you'll be pleased with the result.

ZUCCHINI

Here's an unusual topping that's been a staple on our Vegy for 14 years. The best way to prep it is diced. We cut it into quarters, lengthwise and then cut it into 1/4" chunks.

CANNED STUFF

Canned toppings, like olives or pineapple must be drained very well. Every teaspoon of liquid that you keep out of the pizza will help the crust cook better. We use pineapple tidbits. If you get chunks, you may want to cut them up with a knife (better coverage with smaller pieces).
 

Hot Italian sausage, chorizo, and lean hamburger (seasoned with black pepper) are the three we use.

Break into chunks and cook on top of the pizza. The size needs to be 5/8" in diameter. If they are too big, they'll be undercooked in the center. If they are too small, all the flavor will get cooked out. It all depends on:

1. How hot your oven is.
2. How long you leave the pizza in the oven.

To be safe, go a little small until you get the hang of it.

FULLY COOKED MEATS (PEP, CB, HAM)

Can be put above or below the cheese but may burn around the edges if put on the very top of the pizza.
 

People are often amazed at how much stuff can successfully be cooked on a pizza. However, if you are going to put on a lot of different toppings, you're going to have to scale way back. Be sure to use your "viewfinder", and go for a taste of everything on each slice. At Flying Pie a 12" two topping pizza weighs 2 1/2 lbs. Our combo which has eight more toppings, weighs only 1/4 lb. more because we reduce the amount of each individual topping. The blending arena is where the pizza chefs and pizza wanna-bes go their separate ways. The goal is to enjoy the process, not to become a snob!
 
 

The hotter your oven, the shorter the cooking time will be. The only time you need to lower the temperature is when the top and bottom of your pizzas are done, but the middle is undercooked. A well heated pizza stone will make it possible to cook thick pizzas much better.

- If the top of the pizza is done, before the bottom, next time cook on a lower shelf.*
- If the bottom is done too soon, next time cook on a higher shelf.
- If particular toppings are overcooked, next time add them part way through the cooking process.
- If toppings are undercooked, par-bake them (see potatoes in recipe here).

*This is often a problem with gas ovens- start out by trying the lowest shelf possible!

A note on Convection Ovens

Convection ovens will have an impossible time getting the bottom of the pizza to cook, unless you use a pizza stone (or bricks or tiles). With a stone you have an oven that most resembles what we use in the restaurant - without it you're better off using the non-convection setting.

A note on Gas Ovens

Older home gas ovens have often given us fits, but the answer has always been the same: Cook on the very bottom rack.
 

Thin pizzas require different techniques and temperatures. If there aren't very many toppings, they are going to cook quickly, so you have to speed up the crust, because like it or not, the top and bottom of the pizza are going to leave the oven at the same time. Crank your oven to the highest it will hold consistently (usually 500-525 degrees). At 5 minutes you can still cut the rim, and hopefully pull out the foil or transfer it to the oven rack (go here). Your goal is to have the whole pizza out of the oven in 8-10 minutes. If it's taking longer than that, you need to pre-heat your oven longer, turn up the oven higher, and/or use less dough or roll it thinner.
 

We have been known to make a pretty thick pizza, when the occasion calls for one. Over the years we have developed a couple of tricks and theories that have helped us make great, big pizzas (as opposed to just "big pizzas").

Basically, the thicker the pizza is, the harder it is to get the center cooked. The problem is you can't just leave it in the oven longer, or the outside areas (top and bottom) will be over-cooked. In a home oven, to make a very thick pizza cook well, you have to use a stone and preheat it for at least 45 minutes (to build up lots of heat) at 475 degrees. Turning the oven up above 475 degrees will not improve anything for a thick pizza.
 

A 3" high "volcano pie" will never get hotter than lukewarm in the center. Keep your topping level even.

If you have to cook the pizza for more than 20 minutes to get the crust brown, your vegetables and cheese will begin to change metabolically (and not for the better).

Solutions:

1. Use a pizza stone.
2.* Pre-Heat your oven longer (45-60 minutes).
3.* Turn your oven up higher (475-525 degrees).
4. Make the crust thinner.
5. Use less toppings.

* Note: solutions 2 and 3 will not be helpful unless you first get a stone or tile (see here).

DOUGH BROWNS IN SPLOTCHES

1. Let the dough proof longer- underproofed dough browns unevenly (see here).
2. Check the evenness of the crust thickness.
3. Give the pizza 1/2 turn while cooking. Your oven may have hot spots.

I WANT TO USE EXOTIC TOPPINGS BUT THEY DON'T COOK RIGHT

1. If they are undercooked, parboil or pre-bake the toppings to give them a "head start" - see Potato and Beef Pizza here.
2. If they are overcooked, try putting them on later, or after the pizza comes out.

SOURDOUGH TOO SOUR: Use less dough and roll the edge thinner.

SOURDOUGH NOT SOUR ENOUGH: Trade skins with the above person!
 

Our recipes are listed to make 12" pizzas. If you want to make a 14" pizza, simply use 1 1/2 time as much. For a 16" pizza, use twice as much and for a 10" pizza use 3/4 of the amounts.

For example:
 

Topping Amounts

For a 1-2 topping 12" pizza we use up to these amounts
 

Basic order of ingredients is as follows:

1 Sauce
2 *Fully Cooked Meats (Canadian Bacon, Pepperoni, Ham, etc.)
3 Cheeses
4 Vegetables (Mushrooms always come first)
5 Ground Meats
6 Seafood
7 Fresh garlic (mostly in center area of pizza)

* Fully cooked meats can be cooked above the cheese, but may burn.
 

Be sure you have the right amount of dough. Using an entire bag of our mix to make a 12" pizza is sure to produce a lousy pizza. Roll the dough into a ball, to force air bubbles out. Flatten out with your hands into a disc shape. Here's a tip from "Restaurant-land": Instead of lightly flouring the rolling surface - drop the doughball into the flour bin, turn it over once or twice and remove. It's less mess and you'll get the perfect amount of flour much faster. Then, proceed to roll it out with your rolling pin. (Editor's note: As you start using this technique with other dough balls, it is important to remember that it was your friends at Flying Pie who let you in on this secret). As you roll the dough out, be careful not to roll over the edges. Roll up to within an inch of the rim and then back. The perfect skin will be even in the middle and slightly thicker on the rim, which will keep all the toppings in. In profile it will look like this : Watch for thick/thin spots, these will cook unevenly and may cause other problems. Take your time getting the dough just right. Once you start putting stuff on it, you can't go back! This is your last chance to ensure a great crust. A small investment in time and attention will be richly rewarded!
 

When the dough is rolled out to about 3/4 the desired finished size, you can try spinning it in the air (if you're in an adventurous mood). Put both hands under the dough, toss gently into the air with a spinning motion. Your hands should be tipped back towards you, palms up, elbows out. Catch the dough (you know, when it finally comes down) on your knuckles, or very carefully on ALL fingers. It's pretty easy to poke a hole in it, so be careful. If (read when) you DO poke a hole in it, just pinch it back together and finish by rolling (not throwing) the skin. If everything else fails, roll it all back into a tight smooth ball, let it rest on the counter for five minutes to "relax" (you AND the dough), and start over. It's also fine to just roll the dough out all the way with a rolling pin but you'll never get any style points.
 

If you'll be using a stone, put a sheet of parchment paper, or a greased sheet of aluminum foil on a moveable cutting board. Shake all excess flour off of the skin and place it on the foil. If you will be using a pizza pan or cookie sheet it must not have an edge because you will need to slide the pizza off of it half way through the cooking process. If you have no suitable pan, you may get away with turning your edged pan upside down. Grease the entire surface well (not just where the pizza will be).

To spread regular pizza sauce, pour the correct amount from a soup ladle onto the center of the pizza. Lightly press the ladle into the center and spiral slowly outward keeping almost all of the sauce on the outside edge of the ladle. The result will hopefully (with practice) go in an even layer from center to edge. Bring the sauce out to within 2" of the edge, but not closer. If you mess it up, you can do the "finger paint" version to move it all around with the ladle or a spatula. Be sure to clean up any sauce that strays too close to the edge. Keep playing with the spiral trick, because once you get it down (usually 4-5 pizzas) you'll feel and look like a real pro! A word on pesto sauce - go very, very, light. It took us a long time to realize that it is best if spread almost as thinly as possible, using the edge of a spatula.

When you're putting the cheese on the pizza, it will work best if it goes a little further toward the rim than the sauce does. This will help bond it to the crust, which prevents the "Mysterious Shrinking Cheese" syndrome (often followed by the "Oops I picked up a slice of pizza and all I got was crust" syndrome).

Total cooking time is 12-14 minutes.

Bake the pizza on a middle rack until it slides easily when the pan is jiggled (7-8 minutes.) Take the pizza out of the oven.

Now roll your pizza cutter around the rim of the pizza, re-describing the line between toppings and crust. You are kind of making a crust "picture frame" for the toppings. Cut down about half way through the dough as you go all the way around, popping any undesired air bubbles. If you find thicker areas of dough, make several cuts in this area, scoring the dough almost all the way through. While doing this procedure, it is very easy to re-define the shape of the pizza, giving it a thicker or thinner rim. Cutting the Rim of the pizza allows the dough to cook better. The thing to be careful of is to not cut through the bottom or create an "escape route" in the outer edge that would allow cheese and toppings to ooze out a make a mess!

Next, you can take the pizza cutter and gently "roto-till" the toppings, going all the way down to (but not through!) the dough, rolling back and forth, feeling for clumps and turning the toppings over and around. This is hard to describe, but the idea is fairly simple. What happens is that by breaking up the denser clumps and "high spots" and moving things around a little bit, a lot more heat will permeate the pizza. We refer to this as "stirring" a pizza. It really can't be done without a pizza cutter, preferably a 4" round one. You can look all the way down to the crust, by gently wiggling your cutter back and forth. This is a great way to see how everything inside the pizza is cooking. In our R&D we have been able to make a 15 degree difference in the finished pizza (180 vs 165 degrees). In the same tests, the stirred pizza weighed 1/4 lb. less, because of increased evaporation of moisture from the oils and liquids in the toppings. The extra heat makes things taste much better, cook correctly and "catch up" with the crust and top surfaces. With a little practice you'll be able to tell how fast the toppings are cooking relative to the crust and decide how thoroughly to stir your pizza. Now, put the pizza back in the oven and finish cooking 5-10 more minutes.

Cutting/draining your pizza

Put pizza on a cutting surface. Excess liquid can be removed by cutting pizza in half and slightly tipping to drain on a cutting board or paddle (not your stone), or by blotting the top with a paper towel. When cheese has set up a bit, cut, serve and enjoy.
 

What You Need:

1 28 oz can *Crushed Tomatoes (aka Ground Peeled Tomatoes)
1 6 oz can Tomato Paste
1 T. Olive Oil (optional)
2 t. Romano or Parmesan Cheese
1/2 t. Italian Seasonings
1/2 t. Oregano
1/2 t. Salt
1/4 t. Pepper (to taste)

What You Do:

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Makes enough for about 8 12" pizzas. Freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays.

* These are hard to find, but worth it, keep looking!)

What You Need:

3/4 c. Romano or Parmesan Cheese
1 t. Salt
1/8 t. Citric Acid or 1/2 T. Lemon Juice
1/4 c. Garlic Cloves, whole, peeled
1 1/8 c. Olive Oil
1/2 lb. Fresh Basil, trimmed (take out any stems you can't easily snap).

What You Do:

In a food processor, blend the Romano cheese, add salt and citric acid, then garlic and run processor until garlic is finely chopped. (If using lemon juice, add after garlic is chopped.) Next, add 1/3 of the oil, and 1/3 of the basil (you may need to stop the machine and pack the leaves in by hand) turn on machine until roughly blended. Repeat twice. Blend until lightly chopped- don't puree.

This pesto sauce is our recipe calling for 1/2 lb. of fresh basil, which makes a little over 1 pound of pesto (enough for 11 12" pizzas). Pour it into ice cube containers, freeze and put into freezer bags. That way, you'll always have some handy. It should last 3-6 months without any serious changes.
 

What You Need:

1 lb. Dough (1/2 dough ball of Flying Pie Dough Mix)
1/2 cup Sauce
1/2 lb. Mozzarella
1/4 lb. Pepperoni
1 t. Grated Parmesean or Romano Cheese

Makes one 12" pizza (go here for pizza size conversions).

What You Do:

Preheat oven 475 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Roll out the dough.
Spread the sauce.
Lay out the Pepperoni then spread the Cheese. Or spread out the Cheese and then lay out Pepperoni!
Sprinkle with romano or parmesan cheese.
Cook, 8-12 minutes. go here for complete details on cooking techniques.
Enjoy!!!

Note: You can put pepperoni under or over the cheese (or both!). Each placement creates a different flavor.
 

This is an example of a pizza which uses par-baked topping (the potatoes). By giving the sliced potatoes a head start, they come out great - tasting like baked potatoes.

What You Need:

1 lb. Dough (1/2 Dough ball Flying Pie Dough Mix)
1/2 c. Sauce
1/2 lb. Cheddar Cheese, grated
2-3 Medium Potatoes, sliced
2-3 Green Onions
1/4 lb. Hamburger (seasoned)
1/8 t. Black Pepper

Makes one 12" pizza (see here for pizza size conversions).

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Slice the potatoes about 1/8" thick, and place on greased foil or cookie sheet. Bake them until slightly brown (10-12 minutes). Set aside.

Next, roll out the dough, spread the sauce, lay down the cheese, potatoes and onions. Season the hamburger with the pepper and place on the pizza in small chunks (see here).

Bake 12-18 minutes (watch the cheese- cheddar melts more quickly and you don't want it to liquify). Go here for complete details on cooking techniques.

After it comes out of the oven, dab the top of the pizza with paper towels to remove any moisture, and let it stand for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to "set up" and avoid running off the pizza. Poke at it a little to decide how long to wait! Then cut and serve.
 

This is an example of a pizza with no cheese or sauce! It is very different than a normal pizza. Try it, you may end up as hooked as we are!

What You Need:

1 lb. Dough (1/2 Dough Ball Flying Pie Dough Mix)
2 T. Olive Oil
2-3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
5-6 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
Dash Italian Herbs or salt-free seasoning (Mrs. Dash is great)
5-8 lg. Basil Leaves

Makes one 12" pizza (go here for pizza size conversions).

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Roll out the dough and baste the top with 1 T. olive oil using a brush, or your hand. Add sliced tomatoes - you should fully cover (if not slightly overlap) the pizza, as this is the only topping and they do shrink a bit. Add garlic (mostly in the center - see here). Sprinkle seasonings and lightly drizzle with 1/2 t. more olive oil. Cook for 8-12 minutes, until the dough looks perfect! See here for complete details on cooking techniques.

While the pizza is cooking, make a pile of the basil leaves, fold in half across the stem and slice them parallel to the stem into 1/8" strips. Immediately, before serving, garnish the pizza with basil leaves. Serve quickly to preserve the appearance and flavor.
 

The Zambini is a Flying Pie favorite. It's a popular way for locals to introduce their out-of-town guests to some of the finer points of living in Boise. It was developed to highlight several of the things we are fond of (our sourdough, pesto, sausage, etc.). If you omit the sausage this is an outstanding vegetarian pizza.

What You Need:

1 lb. Dough (1/2 Dough Ball Flying Pie Dough Mix)
3-4 T. Pesto (2 ice cube size lumps) (see recipe here)
1/3 lb. Cheese (we use 1/2 mozzarella, 1/2 provolone, grated)
1/4 Medium Onion, chopped
1-2 Medium Tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1/4 lb.)
1-2 Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, very thinly sliced
1-2 Fresh Hot Italian Sausages (1/4 lb.)
2-3 Fresh Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

Makes one 12" pizza (see here for pizza size conversions).

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Spread the pesto with the edge of a spatula to cover the dough to within 1" from the edge. Sprinkle the cheese, then add onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Break the sausages open and make 5/8" diameter chunks, spread evenly over the pizza. Add fresh garlic. You can "balance" the pizza by adjusting amounts of jalapeno vs. tomato. If the jalapenos are too hot, use more tomatoes. It's an acid vs. base "chemistry" thing. Bake for 12-15 minutes. See here for complete details on cooking techniques.
 

What You Need:

1 lb Dough (1/2 Dough Ball Flying Pie Dough Mix)
3/4 - 1 c. Diced Cooked Turkey
1/4 c. + 2 T. BBQ Sauce
6 - 8 oz. Mozzarella, grated
2 -3 large Green Onions, diced
1/4 t. BBQ Seasoning
Dash Oregano or Italian Seasonings

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Mix the turkey with the 2 T. of the BBQ Sauce and 1/4 t. BBQ Seasoning. Set Aside.

Roll out the dough, put on a well greased pizza pan (or parchment paper/ greased aluminum foil if using a pizza stone). Spread the remaining 1/4 c. of BBQ Sauce to within 2" of edge (but not closer!). Spread cheese to within 1" of the edge (but not closer!). Arrange Turkey and Onions to look beautiful. Sprinkle oregano on top. Bake! Total time 12-15 minutes. See here for complete details on cooking techniques.
 

A zappi (or calzone) is a pizza turnover that is not hard to make, but somewhat difficult to describe - here goes!

What You Need:

1/2 lb. Dough -we use sourdough (1/4 Dough Ball Flying Pie Mix)
1/4 c. Sauce
1/4 c. Mushrooms, sliced
1 T. Chopped Onion
1 T. Chopped Green Pepper
1/2-1 c. Grated Cheese or 1-2 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Egg, beaten
1 Garlic Clove, minced
 

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Roll out the dough to a football field shape, as evenly as possible. Roll edge thin also (not like pizza). The dough should be as close to 3/16" thick as possible- thickness is much more important than size. Yes, get a ruler out and check it! Pick up the dough carefully, dust off all excess flour and place on greased foil or cookie sheet. Place the toppings in a pile (up to 3-4") on one end of the dough in order listed. Take care not to get too close to the edges (Top Right Below). Slowly and carefully fold the top over and seal the edges by pinching. Sealing the zappi can be aided by moistening the edge, but if you didn't use too much flour in the rolling process, you shouldn't have to. Open a 1-2" hole in the top. Baste the dough lightly with egg. Drop garlic into the opening at the top.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust browns and the toppings bubble at the top.

Cut in half and drain excess liquid. Serve with pride.
 
 

You can vary the basic recipe to taste, substituting your favorite ingredients, but be careful not to use too much of toppings that will release water (tomatoes, pineapple, etc.) as you may end up with a soggy mess. If you use cream cheese, break it into round chunks, the diameter of your thumb tip, and arrange on top of the rest of the toppings. If you are going to add meats, they must be pre-cooked. Put them after the vegetables and before the cheese.

When cooking more than one at a time, the inside edges will tend to undercook unless you rotate them after 5-7 minutes. Have fun putting yours together! You may want to reflect on the fact that the Flying Pie record for zappi making, starting from pre-rolled dough to egg, is under 14 seconds!
 

Our doughs make wonderful breadsticks and the possible variations are staggering. First, preheat oven to 475 degrees. The quickest and easiest way is to roll the dough ball out to 1/4" thickness and use a rotary pizza cutter to cut in strips as wide as your thumb. Lay on a baking pan and bake for 8-12 minutes. If you have a pizza stone you can cook them at 500-525 degrees for 7-10 minutes. This way they will be crisper on the outside and breadier on the inside. Vary the thickness and baking time to suit your preference for bread-like or cracker-like texture.
 

-You can twist breadsticks, roll breadstick ropes, make pretzels, whatever!
-Try basting some with egg or water and sprinkling with parmesan cheese before baking.
-A quick batch of breadsticks will tide you over and increase your frustration tolerance level while putting a pizza together.
-They're also a good way to use up leftover dough.
-They're also something the kids can work on (it'll keep them busy and out of your way).

Breadsticks are best served warm. After they cool down, keep them covered for 2-3 days at room temperature; they can be re-warmed in your oven (2-3 minutes at 375 degrees) or microwave (30-40 seconds on "high"). You can also freeze them and then "zap" them when the mood hits you!

Note: At the present time, our dough mix is not available via retail.  For those of you in the Boise area, we do sell our dough (all three favors!) fresh, at $2 per pound.