A homemade Amish recipe pizza using whole wheat flour from an Amish-run mill. I like my crusts crispy!
HOMEMADE PIZZA!
Pizza, whether it is homemade or store-bought, has become as popular among the Amish over the past couple of decades as it has in the rest of America. It's easy to see why. Most of the ingredients in a homemade pizza consist of staples already in the average Amish kitchen. Pizza is a case where pop culture has introduced a food to the Amish and they have embraced it and made it their own. Rachel has been making a delicious homemade pizza lately.Honestly, I like this pizza about as much as any other I have tasted, store-bought or otherwise and coming from a pizza connoisseur like myself that is saying a lot. The Amish connection to this recipe which Rachel got from wheatfoods.org is that we got the flour from an Amish grain miller in Aylmer, Ontario. The Amish owner of the mill is a fascinating man name Franz who emigrated to Canada from Austria in search of a simpler life and he found it by joining the Amish. This is a quick, easy, delicious homemade pizza recipe, a photo of one of Rachel's homemade pizzas is above.
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 package active dry yeast/instant yeast
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot tap water (120 - 125°F)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola or olive oil work well too)
- 1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar
- Some people prefer to "pre-bake" the crust for about 3 minutes before adding the toppings. Crust will be "crispier" than if not pre-baked. Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F To prepare pizza dough, stir whole wheat flour; lightly spoon into a measuring cup and level flour. In large mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, yeast and salt. Blend in water, oil and honey or sugar. Stir by hand vigorously until all ingredients are well mixed; about 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise to desired size. Place dough in greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan or 12 to 14-inch pizza pan. Press dough to cover bottom of pan and up sides to form a rim. Add pizza sauce of your choice and your favorite pizza toppings; bake in oven 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and toppings are done.
Generally pizza was only an occasional treat in Amish settlements some 25 years ago. Pizza was only slowly making its way onto the Amish menu at this time. I remember visiting an Amish friend in rural Indiana in the mid-90s and cell phones were just coming into widespread use. I remember the first time I visited with what I called my “pocket phone” (known as a cell phone today!). She was amazed at how that little phone unattached to any wires could dial anywhere. I remember one evening when I was visiting I suggested that I call for pizza delivery. She was amazed as I whipped out my cell phone and placed a pizza delivery order. The person on the other end was equally amazed because they never got phone orders from that particular geographic area. But they showed up a half hour or so later with some hot pies.
Below is a recipe from the original Amish Cook for homemade pizza pie!
- 1 package of dry yeast
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1 1 /2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 /4 cup of salad oil
- Topping:
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 pound of your favorite cheese
- Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, and oil and mix thoroughly. Add 1 /2 of the flour and beat until there are no lumps. Gradually add remaining flour. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Take half of the dough, roll out into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Leave edges a little thicker than the middle. Repeat this with the other half of the dough. Put on a second cookie sheet and let rise 20 to 30 minutes. Brush the tops with salad oil. Cut one pound of cheese into fine pieces and sprinkle over the top. Put 2 cups of homemade tomato sauce lightly over the cheese. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until the edges are brown and the cheese is melted. Makes two pies
Carolyn Collman
Hi Kevin, This week in looking over the Amish website, I came across your notice about the cookbook sale. I saved the info, however we had a storm and the info was lost. Could you please send me the info again? I remember it was several cookbooks for about $50.00. I have ordered all that are about Elizabeth and now her family and love them. I read Elizabeth's
early writings years ago and was so taken with her writings. My early life was much like the Amish including the butchering of animals and the recipes. We cooked much as the Amish. My husband & I moved back to Texas and I am sure that the early writings of Elizabeth are in a box, as yet unpacked. I was so very sorry to read about her passing. I am sure that she would be very proud of her daughter and granddaughters. They do a fine job with the column and the books, as do you. Thank you for continuing The Amish Cook!
Sincerely,
Carolyn Collman
Jill Stratman
Ok, question on the pizza Rachel made. First, it looks delicious, just the kind we like. Not too much crust, not too thin. So, the question is, can you tell that it's made with whole wheat flour? My bunch will probably reject it at first bite if it has anything more than the mildest of wheat taste.
Kevin
Hmmmmm, Jill, I might have to let my wife weigh in on that (I'll ask her), but if you blind-folded me and had me eat that pizza and I wouldn't be able to tell it was a wheat crust.. To me it's just a good chewy (in a good way) pizza crust...I don't like a pizza crust that is brick-hard or tough/chewy like meat, nor do I like a soggy, paper-thin crust...I think the crust in that recipe comes out perfect and not at all "wheaty" (just made up a word:)
Jill Stratman
Ok, that's enough for me to try it next time we do pizza, thanks!
Carol
I'm going to try it since I have some whole wheat flour I need to use up. Will let you know how it turns out.
Carol
Kevin
Thanks, Carol..welcome to amishcookonline and let us know how it turns out!
Renita
My husband has told me many times that he doesnt like wheat anything recently I made a wheat pizza crust and never told him he ate several pieces and said it was delicious I told him it was a wheat crust and he said if you hadnt told me I wouldnt have known and now he only wants wheat crust
Kevin
Ah, Renita is a "wheat sneak":)
Jill Stratman
Thank you for posting that. I am going to try it myself next time we have pizza night. I hope to also become a successful "wheat sneak" lol
Mona G.
I also do not like anything wheat.....but this looks so yummy, I will give it a try.......thanks for posting it.....