Wholewheat Pizza

Pizza is a oven-baked flat bread which is topped with tomato sauce, meat and vegetable toppings and shredded mozzarella cheese (made from buffalo cheese)..The origin of pizza is in Naples,Italy, and it spread around the world...Pizza is traditionally baked in wood-fired brick oven..Now-a-days pizzas are baked in different ovens like convection - combination oven,pizza stone etc...There are many varieties of pizza...Toppings of pizza may change according to one's region...Pizza crust may be either thick or thin..In Italy alone, there are more than 100 varieties of pizza..
Normally,pizza crust is made up of all purpose dough...I decided to make change...For a healthy alternative, I use whole wheat dough..I made my own pizza sauce and toppings..You can add any toppings of your choice..I made this in Iftar,which is a hit among my family,who came to stay with me for 10 days ..It tastes amazingly delicious...Homemade pizza is better than store bought one...Pizza dough is available in almost all supermarkets..Instead of store bought pizza dough, you can make it at home..Store bought pizza dough may not taste delicious..Its not difficult to make..Its a easy and tasty pizza,which can be made for Iftar too..Do make this pizza and impress your family..
( Sorry for the bad quality pictures, I took this photo in a hurry.I even edited it,but I got these much clarity)

    Ingredient

      For Pizza dough:

• Wholewheat flour / All purpose flour - 2 cups

• Instant yeast / Active-dry yeast - 1 1/3 tsp ( Increase upto 2 tsp,if climate is colder)

• Brown/ White Sugar - 1 tsp

• Salt - 1 tsp

• Olive oil - 1 tbsp

• Warm milk,mixed with little water - 1 cup or more ( for kneading)

     For Toppings:

• Pizza Sauce  - 2 1/2 tbsp

• Cooked Shredded Chicken - 1 cup ( see recipe below)

• Cooked Vegetables - 1 cup ( see recipe below)

• Mozzarella cheese,grated - accordingly

        For Chicken:

• Chicken breast - 1 piece ( 200 gm)

• Paprika Powder - 1 tsp

• Garlic powder / Garlic paste - 1 tsp

• Ginger powder/ Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp

• Black pepper pdr - 1 tsp

• Oregano - 1 tsp

• Thyme - 1/2 tsp

• Vinegar - 2 tsp

• Salt - to taste

       For Vegetables:

• Mushroom,sliced - 3 no.s ( optional )

• Capsicum,cubed - half of one capsicum

• Onion,cubed - 1 small

• Black pepper pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Oregano - 1 tsp

• Thyme - 1/2 tsp

• Salt - to taste

• Olive oil - 1 tsp

     Method:

• Marinate chicken with above mentioned ingredients 'For Chicken' and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour..Grill or shallow fry the chicken with little oil till cooked and crisp on both sides..Keep aside to cool and shred into large pieces...

• In a large bowl,add all the dry ingredients mentioned in 'For pizza dough' and mix thoroughly..If using active dry yeast ( whole yeast), mix yeast in 1/3 cup of warm water ( not boiling hot) and keep aside for 10 mins to active ( form bubbles and frothy when rises)...If using instant yeast ( powdered activated yeast), ignore this step as it is already activated,you can mix directly with flour...Add warm milk + water and knead into smooth dough..If your dough becomes hard, add more warm milk or water and knead again...If your dough becomes too sticky,rub your hand with olive oil, add little flour and knead again..Knead for 10 to 12 mins till the dough becomes smooth...More you knead,more softer the dough will be...( Sorry, I forgot to take the photo..Hope you understand)

• Place this dough in a large bowl and cover it with a cling film or damp cloth and place a large plate on top of it or you can place this in a hot casserole..Set aside for 1 hour or more to rise ..If the climate is hotter, it rise quickly..If the climate is colder, its difficult to rise, so keep somewhere at warm place like cupboard or shelf....

• Meanwhile,make pizza sauce mentioned here, if you didn't make it...

• In a fry pan, add little oil and saute all the vegetables one by one for few minutes..If using mushroom,close the lid and cook at high flame for 1 minute..Then lower the flame and add all the seasonings mentioned and saute ...Close the flame and set aside to cool..

• Let us see the pizza dough...After l hr or more, it might be risen into double...Punch the dough and kneed the dough again for 10 sec.

• Take a pizza pan ( I didn't have pizza pan, I used pie pan)..Greese the pan with olive oil on all sides...Place the dough on the pan and flatten it with your palms ( apply olive oil in your palms) equally with same thickness..Or you can roll it with a rolling pin in equal thickness  and place iton a pizza pan and then flatten slightly with your palms..You can make a design at the edges as shown in picture(optional).. Keep aside for 10 minutes..

• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degree C..

• Make a slits in a dough with a knife or prick it with a fork here and there ( see pic below)..This is done, to prevent rising of dough during baking...

• Spread pizza sauce on the dough as shown in picture below...

• Top it with vegetables sparingly and finally top it with shredded chicken..

• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese sparingly..

• Place this in a preheated oven and bake for 25 to 27 minutes till done...If using convection oven, press 'pizza' or 'crusty' button and select weight accordingly...

• Take it out from oven and let it cool for few minutes...Slice into wedges and serve warm. You can also microwave it at the time of serving...

• Remaining can be refrigerated and can be microwaved at the time of serving..It tastes more delicious when eaten next day too..

Preparation of pizza

      Note:

• Always check the expiry date of yeast..If the yeast is near to expiry date,better discard it..Don't use it on dough as it may not rise and its not good for health too..

• Pizza dough softness depends upon the time taken for kneading..Pizza dough must be smooth..If the dough is hard,it may not taste good...

• You can add any toppings of your choice..

• Don't overcrowd the toppings of pizza, otherwise topping may fell when a slice is taken by hand...