Cobalt Kitchen: Pizza, Pizza

When I was growing up, my mom made pizza every Friday night. I loved it, and my friends always wanted to come over too. When my mom found her dough recipe and sent it to me, it seemed natural to make pizza for and with people I care about. So I invited several of my friends and their children over for a pizza party on Sunday afternoon. It was a hit! I made the dough ahead of time and got the toppings ready. The kids had fun stretching their own dough and making little personal pizzas, while the adults collaborated on our tasty creations. We had a blast and ate a LOT of pizza - I made four double batches of dough!

Whether you make this recipe for a crowd, or a party of one, I promise you'll love it. It's easy to make, and the variations are only limited by your creativity with the toppings. I was surprised and impressed with the variety of meats and veggies that some of the kids put on their little pies. It's fun to bring your kids in the kitchen, especially with something that they can really express themselves with. That's how my love of cooking started and I'm always thankful for it.

The Famous Farkas Pizza

Makes one pizza

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp butter

1 pkg rapid rise yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 egg, slightly beaten

Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes or so, until the yeast starts to "bloom".

In a small saucepan, scald milk, sugar and butter. Let cool completely.

For the dough, it's easiest to use a mixer with a dough hook. Add egg and yeast mixture to flour, then add the milk mixture a little bit at a time. You may need to add a small amount of additional flour to get the dough to a kneading consistency. You don't want it to be too sticky. Place the dough on a floured counter surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes, adding flour as needed. When the dough will accept no more flour, knead for 5 more minutes and then place the dough in a lightly greased large bowl. Let rise for one hour in a warm place (placing a pan of hot water on the bottom oven rack and then placing the dough bowl on the top rack works great. Don't turn the oven on - the heat and moisture from the water will make a perfect environment).

Heat oven to 350. Lightly oil pizza pan. Punch down dough and shape to fit pan. Ladle on the sauce and add your favorite toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned.