pizza is a food that we usually order out for, unless there’s a certain topping combination that we know we can only get if we do it ourselves.  even then, we typically cheat & buy our dough somewhere, instead of making it.

we’ve just never really found a recipe for dough that we’ve loved enough to dedicate the time to make it from scratch.

this week’s food matters project recipe may have changed that.

it’s based on jim lahey’s no knead method, which is awesome, because you mix up all the ingredients & then just leave it alone for 6-10 hours.  then when it’s time to bake, you simply turn the dough over in the bowl a few times.  it really couldn’t be easier.

for this pizza, we skipped the pizza stone & opted for a well greased cast iron skillet because the dough stays pretty sticky.  we topped it with a few tablespoons of basil pesto that we had stashed in the freezer, shredded mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms, a handful of baby spinach leaves, a sprinkling of feta & a few strategically placed pickled jalapeños… just like my favorite magical mystery tour from mellow mushroom.  the end result was a perfectly done pizza with a crisp bottom & edges, chewy interior & all of our favorite toppings.

this recipe made enough dough for 2 pizzas made in a 12″ cast iron skillet.  thanks to niki for choosing this awesome recipe!  be sure to check out her blog, salt & pepper, for the full recipe & the food matters project for the all of the amazing topping possibilities.