I’m a sucker for all “Build Your Own Bars” from build your own mimosa to build your own yogurt bar, anything that allows me to be creative with my food. When I remembered National Pi Day was coming up, yup my math geek side just came out, I thought this would be the perfect excuse for a “Build Your Own Bar”.
While everyone loves a good pie, not the 3.14 kind, the french silk, banana cream and key lime kind of pie. I on the other hand decided to take a little different route as I’m trying to stay away from sweets. I gave them up for Lent…or at least I’m trying too. Anyways, back to the pie!
Every American born person grew up on pizza, the hand tossed crust with the endless toppings and gooey melted cheese. You drooling yet? Don’t worry the recipe is coming soon.
This Saturday marks National Pi Day, the perfect time to get a group of friends over for a night of dough tossing and pizza creating with a “Build Your Own Pizza Bar”!
You just need a few ingredients, a preheated oven and a bottle of wine or two for this simple night in!
Build Your Own Pizza Bar
Kitchen Supplies Needed
-small bowls (about 12)
-spoons to put in the bowls
-baking sheets
-preheated oven (around 350F)
-pizza cutter
The Setup
1. Arrange topping, sauces and cheese in bowls on counter with spoons for serving (see ideas below)
2. Lightly flour working space for each person to lay their dough on
3. Make homemade dough ahead of time and individualize each serving or you can buy mini pre made pizza dough. Here are a few of my favorite home made ones: Whole Wheat, Thin Crust, No Knead and Hand-Tossed.
4. Preheat the oven according to dough instructions.
5. Dust baking sheets with cornmeal to give the crust more flavor and an added crunch on bottom
Topping Ideas
Sauces: Tomato sauce, pesto, bbq sauce or alfredo sauce
Cheeses: Goat cheese, feta, smoked gouda, sharp cheddar, fresh mozzarella, monterey jack or shredded pizza blend
Meats: Sausage (I opt for the turkey sausage), ground beef, chicken, ham/canadian bacon, pepperoni or prosciutto
Veggies: Caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, minced garlic, peppers, roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, spinach, pineapple, etc.
Spices/Others to add after baking: Crushed red pepper, parmesan cheese, fresh arugula, italian seasonings, fresh basil, mexican seasonings, cilantro or oregano
Time to Build
1. Have each guest roll out their dough and place it on the baking sheet
2. Baking for about 8 minutes to firm your dough so you can place the toppings on
3. Pull the dough out of the oven an allow to cool for about 5 minutes before topping
4. Give each person back their pizza dough and let the creativity begin
5. Start with a sauce, add some toppings and finish with cheese
6. Place each pizza back on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for the remainder of time according to recipe or package of dough (tip: I always like to turn my oven on broil for the last 2 minutes to give my cheese that bubbly top)
7. Pull your pizzas out when done and top with fresh ingredients before cutting.
Enjoy!
Special thanks to Samantha Elizabeth for catching my triangle shaped pizza on camera and Debi Lilly for letting me toss flour around in the beautiful DL Loft kitchen!