This fun pizza recipe uses champagne in both the crust and the tomato sauce. It adds a touch of elegance and delicately changes the flavor. Once it’s cooked, wash the pizza down with your favorite champagne!
Champagne Pizza Recipe
Adapted from Hungry Monster
Yield – 2 pies
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast
- ½ cup champagne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups unbleached flour
For the tomato sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 10 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup champagne
- 1 small can tomato paste (about 6 oz.)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the topping:
- 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
- Toppings such as sliced mushrooms, sliced peppers, olives, etc. (if desired)
Directions:
For the crust:
Make sure the water measures 108 – 112 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s too cold the yeast won’t activate and too hot, the yeast will die. Add the water to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top and let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture begins to bubble. If it doesn’t start to bubble, it means that the yeast is too old. In this case, discard the mixture and start again with a new packet of yeast.
Add the champagne and then sprinkle the salt over the top of the yeast mixture and then gradually stir in the flour using a wooden spoon. When it becomes too difficult to stir, you can start using your hands. After all the flour is gone and the dough is no longer sticky, knead it for 5 minutes with your hands. Place the dough back in the bowl and spray the top with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to let the dough rise until it has doubled in size (about an hour).
For the tomato sauce:
Add the oil to a large pot and set the heat on medium. Let the oil heat for a few minutes and then add the onions and garlic. Sauté together until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and set the heat on low and let the mixture cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the champagne, tomato paste, and herbs and stir until the tomato paste is incorporated into the sauce. Turn off the heat and let the sauce sit while you prepare the crust.
To prepare the pizza:
Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Uncover the dough and punch it down to let it deflate. Knead it for a minute to release the air bubbles. Cut the dough in half and form one of the halves into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly and then stretch even flatter with your fingers.
Spray a pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray (unless you’re using a pizza stone) and place the dough on the pan. Spread the dough with the sauce and then sprinkle with cheese. Add your toppings, if desired then do the same procedure with the other ball of dough.
Place the pizza pan(s) in the center of the oven and bake until the cheese starts to bubble. This should take about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pizza sit for a few minutes before cutting.