☆Greek Pizza! ☆

Yup, you guessed it - a recipe for you guys! ☆

Now, I didn't have to travel to Greece in order to learn this recipe; rather, this is my creation of the Greek flatbread pizza that I serve at work. I've been using this simple recipe for my pizza dough at home for a long time and I absoultely love it. I substituted my usual toppings (mushrooms with extra cheese) for a fresh Mediterranen-inspired blend of vegetables and cheese, particularly feta cheese. :) It's fresh, easy to make, and... yummy! And now, I'm more than happy to share this with you all. I hope you'll enjoy making this as much as I did!

First is the recipe for the pizza dough. You'll get the best taste results when the dough is fresh. :) You'll need the following:

-1 package *or* 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast This is what will make the dough rise and give it a fluffy texture.
-4 tablespoons warm water This will be used to dissolve the yeast. It's best to have the warm water at about body temperature or higher (if it's too cold, it won't dissolve and your dough won't rise; if too hot, the heat will kill the yeast cells).
-2 cups flour By the way, you don't need to sift the flour for this. I usually use wheat-flour, but I used all-purpose in mine.
-1/4 teaspoon salt This brings out the sweetness of the dough.
-1 tablespoon olive oil This enhances the flavor of the dough and also helps the dough feel fluffy.
-1/2 cup warm water This brings everything together!

First, dissolve the yeast with the the 4 tablespoons of warm water and olive oil in a small bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes.




While your yeast dissolves, prepare your large mixing bowl with the flour and salt. Combine these two ingredients together and form a well as shown in the photo for the yeast mixture.


Next, pour your yeast mixture into the flour/salt well, and add your 1/2 cup of warm water and mix everything together until the mixture turns into a moderately stiff dough. If needed, add a small bit of warm water at at time until you achieve a nicely shaped dough ball. It's also best to use your hands, like I did (not like in my photo, haha!).

Now we let the dough stand in the bowl for about 15 minutes. I covered mine with a paper towel. And then when it's time:

See how much bigger it is now? :) After kneading the dough on a lightly floured surface about 5-8 times, you're ready to make your pizza! (You don't want to knead the dough too much though because kneading brings out gluten and it'll make your crust hard.) You can use this recipe and use your own toppings too :)

Now for the Mediterrenean toppings - and you can use as much or as little of these as you like:-shredded mozzerella cheese This yummy cheese has many vitamins and other great
benefits that are good for your body; it's also a good source of calcium.
-feta cheese Not only does this cheese make this pizza taste yummy, but it is also full of calcuim as well as vitamin B12 and protein. Don't go overboard with it though; some feta cheese can be high in saturated fat.
-black olives There are many varieties of olives, but nonetheless, they are a great source of iron, vitamin E and other great health benefits.
-artichoke hearts I know they have a weird texture to them, but they have fiber, vitamin C and potassium - all of them are good for your body :)
-tomatoes I absoutely love tomatoes because not only are the delicious and versitile in many recipes, but they are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and lycopene (an antioxidant that helps fight back cancer and other diseases!)
-garlic Now, I know some people don't like the taste of garlic itself or may be allergic to it, but it does enhance the flavor of the pizza in this recipe. If you don't like the harshness of garlic, you can substitiute it for garlic powder instead. ...but also did you know that garlic also contains anti-oxidant properties that help you regulate your blood circulation? Think of products out there for the heart such as Garlique. :)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface again, roll out your dough until it's nice and flat. (The thinner it is, the crispier, but since I like it fluffy, I didn't roll out mine as much.) Take an olive oil/canola spray and spray a light layer of oil onto a baking sheet; transfer your dough to the baking sheet. Spread a light layer of olive oil on top, and add your toppings. I like to put a lot of tomato and olive on mine because I love their sweet and savory flavors.

Pop the pizza into the oven and bake for about 15 mintutes, or until your dough is golden and crisp.

And this is optional, but you can top it with fresh basil for a flavorful bite each time. :) ...but since the grocery store didn't have fresh basil last night, I substitued for Mrs. Dash's Italian Medley blend instead, and it's just as delicious. :) And you're done! Enjoy your yummy pizza :) I know I did...

Bon appetit,
~Reiko ☆*.

Edit! : My co-worker, Malica, suggested in mixing sour cream with garlic to cut down its harsh taste. I'm going to give that a try and put a new entry with the results. Thanks Malica! :)