Pizza Dough (with a secret ingredient)

 If you read my last post, you will know that I am no longer following a gluten-free diet.  This has opened up a whole lot of possibility, not to mention freedom, when it comes to baking.  This was one of the recipes on my "must try" lists, and it is definitely a keeper.  The recipe comes from Julie Van Rosendaal's Spilling the Beans:  cooking and baking with beans and grains every day.  It is easy to make and I just love the fact that it is made healthier with the addition of beans.  If you like to make your own pizza - or even if you just like pizza, this is a great recipe to try.  At a minimum, the dough will need an hour to rise, but you can also put it in the fridge in the morning and let it rise throughout the day.  I made the dough in the afternoon and let the dough rise in the fridge overnight.  I simply took it out and let it rest while I prepped the toppings.

 Begin by pureeing 1 cup rinsed and drained white kidney beans with 1/4 cup of water until completely smooth.

 In large bowl, stir together 3/4 warm water, 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, and 1 tsp. sugar.  The mixture should get foamy after a few minutes.  If it doesn't, the water was too hot or the yeast is too old.

 This is actually pretty fun to watch.  If you have some young ones around, get them involved :)

 Add the pureed beans to the yeast mixture along with 1 cup of the flour.  Mix thoroughly, then add another cup of the flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 2 Tb. olive or canola oil.  Again, mix thoroughly.  Continue to add flour by 1/2 cup at a time. Once the dough is thick enough to make a kneadable dough, put it on a floured counter.

 Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding spoonfuls of flour, if needed, until the dough has lost most of its stickiness.  Sadly I do not have any photos of the kneading process...hard to take photos while kneading.  What I can tell you is that it was incredibly rewarding!  Lest I sound weird, have you ever kneaded your own dough?  It is an experience everyone should do at least once.  And as someone who has spent the last four years experimenting with gluten-free bread and pizza, which typically means no kneading and rolling out the dough between sheets of oiled plastic wrap, this process was fabulous!

 Loved it!

 Clean the bowl out (dry too) and add some oil.  Put the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat with oil, and placing the dough upside down (so it is covered in oil).  Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.  Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.  Or you can make the dough in the morning and let it rise, covered, in the fridge during the day.  (As mentioned previously, I made mine in the afternoon and left it in the fridge overnight).

 When you are ready, divide the dough into 2 or 3 sections.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  (I made two pizzas).

 Prep all of your toppings.  I love pizza parties and think they are great to do with children and adults alike. Everyone can make the kind of pizza they want to eat :)

 Roll the dough out into a rough circle, oval, or rectangle as thin as you like (it will rise again in the oven).  Put on a baking sheet or pizza pan sprinkled with flour or cornmeal.  

 Top with your favorite toppings and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden.  Mine took longer than this - closer to 30-40 minutes.

 I made a pesto shrimp pizza with alfredo sauce pesto, cooked shrimp, mozzarella, feta cheese, and oregano.

 The next pizza was a chicken, pepper, and pesto pizza:  alfredo sauce, pesto sauce, rotisserie chicken, red onion, peppers, mozzarella cheese, olives, and oregano.

 Delish!

Ingredients:
1 cup rinsed and drained white kidney beans
1 cup warm water, divided
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (one package)
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups flour, approximately (all purpose or half whole wheat)
1 tsp. salt
2 Tb Olive or Canola oil