Ode to the Pizza Stone

I began making pizzas while I was living in New York City. One of my friends was an avid pizza maker and would always tell me when she was making a pizza and what toppings she was going to use. I would usually sit there, with gaping mouth, drooling over her descriptions. She told me about the secret to a "restaurant style" pizza - the pizza stone!

It wasn't long until I was googling "pizza stone" and placed my order with Target for their $13 Bialetti pizza stone and it was worth every penny! Italian sausage, green peppers, pineapple, BBQ chicken, caramalized onion - it didn't seem to matter what the topping - each pizza came out of the oven steaming, perfectly browned, with slightly puffy edges and just the perfect crunch. So do yourself a favor, people, and get a pizza stone. You will not be disappointed!

Hawaiian Pizza

You Will Need:

• 1 ball of pizza dough (I prefer Whole Foods)
• 1 1/4 cups pizza sauce (I prefer San Marzano)
• 1/2 of a 12oz bag of mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
• 2 slices of smoked deli ham (pulled apart loosely for topping)
• Fresh basil for topping

Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
• Roll out dough using your hands or a rolling pin if you have one
• Place dough on pizza stone or baking sheet
• Top dough with sauce, cheese and pineapple

• Put pizza on top rack in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes
• Add ham when there are only a few minutes left to ensure it doesn't dry up while cooking
• Top with fresh basil

Happy Feasting!