Fearless
Passions

Pizza delivery, I think not. The only time I’ve seen food delivered to a boat is Aldo’s Bakery at Block Island, Rhode Island. Pretty crafty merchants coming around to boats first thing in the morning with fresh-baked rolls and confections. If you’re a forward thinking cruisers, you’ll purchase a calzone or two as well and stick it away for lunch. Oh, yeah, the mouth-watering memories.

This crew gets a hankering for pizza just like every other red-blooded American. From my pantry and leftovers I can make a darn fine pizza. You just have to know where to start.

The Crust:

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water — very warm
1/4 cup oil

Mix the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Combine water and oil. If the water is a bit too warm the oil will help cool things. Do not use boiling water.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour liquid into well. With a wooden spoon combine dry and wet ingredients, mix until combined. Kneed just until ingredients are incorporated and the dough becomes a smooth ball. Let double in size. In warmer climates it can sit for as little as 15 minutes.

The Sauce:

6 oz. can tomato paste
onion — chopped
garlic cloves — crushed
chili pepper flakes
Thyme
basil-chopped

The sauce is a personal taste. I start with a six ounce can of tomato paste and add water to the consistency of the sauce I’m making. Some will add tomato sauce, but on a boat I can make sauce and juice with the same six ounce can of tomato paste and the size of the cans is that much smaller to store.

Add the rest of the seasonings to taste.

Toppings:

The possibilities here are limitless. I’ve skipped the tomato sauce and just used olive oil with leftover chicken and feta cheese with my vegetables. Oh, and most of the seasoning that would have been in the sauce. So as suggestions:

Turkey Pepperoni (I find this doesn’t need refrigeration and can sit in my pantry a reasonable length of time and is less greasy than the traditional.)
Sausage when available
Chicken
Roast Beef
Onions
Peppers both green and roasted red pepper
Mushrooms (either raw or sautéed)
Black Olives
Broccoli
Pineapple tidbits
Cheddar Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Feta cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Well you get the idea, anything can be used.

Putting it Together:

Because my oven is small, I used two half cookie sheets so I start by dividing my dough in half and working it to the edges of a greased pizza pan. With a fork I poke holes in the crust and stick in a hot 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. This gives a thick crust time to cook without overdoing the toppings and a bit more rising time before you weigh down the dough with tons of toppings.

Spread cooked dough with sauce and add toppings of your choice.

Bake in same 400 degree oven until toppings are heated through and cheese is melted.

Enjoy hot pizza with a garden salad and you have a meal fit for a king. Maybe you’ll stop calling for delivery when you find out how easy this is. And if you don’t know what to do with leftovers, well, you just need a bit of imagination.

What are your favorite toppings for a pizza?