What Ingredients Do You Need to Make a Pizza?
Although many fine dining restaurants and fast food chains offer pizza, it can be relatively easy to make pizza in your home. By making your own pizza, you can customize the ingredients and toppings and control the calorie content, which can be useful if you are watching your weight. You should be able to find pizza ingredients at your local grocery store. Does this Spark an idea?
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Dough
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You can find pizza dough in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Choosing a thin crust can provide a thicker, New York-style pizza, but it may not stand up well to a lot of toppings and sauce and may tear as you eat it. Deep-dish, or Chicago-style, doughs allow more room for toppings, but having more toppings, cheese and sauce can drive up the calorie count. If you make your own dough, the New York Times recommends using a blend of bread and all-purpose flour.
Sauce
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Tomato sauce is a traditional sauce used for pizza. According to the Los Angeles Times, you should avoid using raw tomato sauce, as that can lead to a one-dimensional, tart flavor. The Times suggests lightly cooking your tomato sauce and using a blend of spices, including basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.
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Cheese
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Traditionally, pizza is topped with mozzarella cheese, but you can use any cheese you'd like. You should note that fat-free cheeses do not melt well, so regular or reduced-fat cheese can be better options. Try to match the cheese with your other toppings. For example, you could make a Greek pizza with feta cheese, olives and marinated chicken.
Toppings
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You can top a pizza with anything you can imagine, from pineapples to pepperoni. According to cycling website CoachLevi.com, the healthiest pizza toppings include onions, red peppers, garlic, spinach, mushrooms, chicken and broccoli. If you have trouble thinking of toppings, consult a local pizzeria's menu for ideas.
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References
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