You Can Teach a Middle Aged Broad New Pizza Tricks

Years ago, there was a great little restaurant in our community called the Polonaise. It was run by Susan Sady and her husband Dariusz. Everything was freshly made while you waited. Susan was the cook and Dariusz did everything else. They were quite a team. Their Chicken Piedmont was the absolute best, Susan's potato pancakes were fabulous, and her cheese appetizers not to be described. So much so that when they closed, my daughter Lauren was so upset, that I had to learn how to make them myself, and still make them for her every Thanksgiving when she comes home.

A few weeks ago my friend Maria called me to tell me that Susan was now giving cooking classes and she had taken one a few weeks ago, and was I interested in coming to a pizza making class with her. I said sure, me turn down anything that has to do with food, cooking or recipes, no way! Maria and I went to the class and had an absolutely wonderful evening. Both Maria (who is a phenomenal cook) and I are of Italian descent so we've been making homemade pizza dough for years, but I had never done a pizza dough the way Susan taught us to make it in this class.

She begins with s sponge (similar to a sourdough starter except you use it the same night). Susan says this creates a pizza dough that is very forgiving to over rising and other mistakes common to yeast doughs. This dough was so incredible elastic and easy to shape, baked up to an incredible crisp pizza, and was fast and easy to make. You will never want to order from a pizzeria again after you make this pizza.

This was so much fun, think about getting a group of friends together and doing this, you will have a ball. Do it as a couples night, or a night with your kids, build another aroma provoking memory!

If you are interested in taking any of Susan's classes, check out Susan's Cooking School.
She is also available for private classes and catering.

I asked Susan's permission to take some pictures during the class and asked if she would allow me to post the recipe to the blog. She graciously said yes to both. So with sincere thanks to Susan and Dariusz, here are the pictures from the class and her fabulous pizza recipe.

Susan Sady

Susan’s Pizza Dough
Susan J. Sady

Makes 3 (12-inch pizzas)

Prepare the Sponge:

6 ounces (~ 1 cup) Bread flour (Susan used Pillsbury Bread flour for the class)
2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (Do not use Rapid Rise or Quick Rise)
8 ounces (1 cup) Warm water (110-120º F) Heat the water for about 35 seconds in the microwave and test with a thermometer

In a large bowl, stir yeast into flour. Add water and mix until smooth. Rest, covered for 30-60 minutes. Should be bubbly and at lest doubled in volume.

Add the following to the sponge:

1 pound 2 ounces (~ 3 2/3 cups) Bread Flour

2 teaspoons Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
6-8 ounces (3/4 – 1 cup) ) Warm water (110-120º F) Heat the water for about 35 seconds in the microwave and test with a thermometer

Mix the Bread flour, sea salt, sugar together and set aside. When ready to make the dough add the olive oil and the water.

Make the dough:

1. Mix the sponge and additional ingredients together until loosely incorporated. Use the hook (as if it was a spoon) from the stand mixer to mix it first than attach the blade to the machine and let it mix.

2. Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, mix for 6 minutes using speed one. Start timing after the dough starts to clear the bowl.)

3. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20-30 minutes in the same bowl.

4. Shape the dough into a tight ball (called “rounding”), place back in bowl and let rise until doubled. This step may be repeated for a better quality dough.

5. Scrape dough onto table and divide into three pieces. Each will make one 12-inch pizza)

6. Round each ball of dough, flour generously, cover and let rise until doubled.


Assemble and bake the pizzas:

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F. If using a pizza stone, let it preheat in the oven as per instructions.

2. Stretch one piece of dough into 12-inch circle. Place the dough on a peel sprinkled with cornmeal or flour. Top with Classic Tomato Sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Other toppings may be added at this point. If using fresh sausage, make sure it is fully cooked before using as topping.

3. Slide the pizza onto the pre-heated pizza stone and bake for 20-30 minutes.

4. If not using a pizza stone: place stretched dough onto a large oiled baking sheet and apply toppings. Bake as above. Repeat process for each pizza. Note: in class Susan oiled the pizza all over before shaping it, this made a very crisp crust. She also placed the pizza on parchment paper when she baked it.

5. The pizza is ready when the bottom is nicely browned and the sauce is bubbling through the melted cheese on the top. This takes about 20-25 minutes.

Classic Tomato Sauce:
Susan J. Sady

1/3 cup extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
1 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 (28 ounce) can Diced tomatoes in juice

1 ½ cups Water
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon Sugar, optional

1. Over low heat, lightly brown the garlic cloves in olive oil.
2. Add the onions and sauté until onions are translucent and beginning to brown.
3. Stir in spices.
4. Add tomatoes and water and simmer bout 15 minutes. Add tomato paste, mixing well.
5. Add water, if necessary, to achieve desired thickness.
6. Simmer for at lest 10 minutes more, stirring often, adding more water if needed. Tomato sauce burns easily, so keep close eye on it. Simmer longer for a fuller flavored sauce. Add sugar near the end of cooking time for a sweeter sauce.

Suggestions for Toppings:

1. Cooked pork sausage
2. Fried Genoa salami
3. Grated Parmesan Cheese
4. Grated Muenster Cheese
5. Sautéed broccoli in garlic and olive oil
6. Sautéed red, green and yellow peppers
7. Raw pepper topping
8. Sautéed sweet onions until caramelized
9. Roasted garlic
10. Pepperoni
11. Mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
12. Scallions
13. Fresh Basil
14. Sliced Tomatoes
15. Mix and match, create your own!!!!


Prepare the Sponge:

6 ounces (~ 1 cup) Bread flour
(Susan used Pillsbury Bread flour for the class)

2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
(Do not use Rapid Rise or Quick Rise)

8 ounces (1 cup) Warm water (110-120º F)

Heat the water for about 35 seconds in the microwave

and test with a thermometer

In a large bowl, stir yeast into flour.

Add water and mix until smooth.


Rest, covered for 30-60 minutes.
Should be bubbly and at lest doubled in volume.

Prepare the following to be added to the sponge:

1 pound 2 ounces (~ 3 2/3 cups) Bread Flour
(weigh the flour, note the white container is on a scale)

2 teaspoons Sea Salt

Mix the Bread flour, sea salt, sugar together and set aside.




When ready to make the dough add the olive oil

and the water

add the flour mixture that you set aside

Make the dough:

1. Mix the sponge and additional ingredients together until loosely incorporated. Use the hook (as if it was a spoon) from the stand mixer to mix it first than attach the blade to the machine and let it mix.

Add the sponge mix that you made earlier

using the hook from the stand mixer
incorporate the sponge and flour mixture together

Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes
If using a stand mixer, mix for 6 minutes using speed one.
Start timing after the dough starts to clear the bowl.)

Let the dough rest, covered, for 20-30 minutes in the same bowl.

Shape the dough into a tight ball

(called “rounding”),

place back in bowl and let rise until doubled.
This step may be repeated for a better quality dough.

Scrape dough onto table and divide into three pieces.
Each will make one 12-inch pizza)

Round each ball of dough,

flour generously, cover and let rise until doubled

You also have the option of cutting the dough into
10 pieces and rounding it into a ball for individual
pizzas (this is great if you have kids making their own pizzas)

Cut them into 10 pieces

Begin to round them by

a rolling and pulling from the side and under method
don't just roll them into a ball

Flour the balls and let rise again

Assemble and bake the pizzas:

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

If using a pizza stone, let it preheat
in the oven as per instructions.

Stretch one piece of dough into 12-inch circle

Place the dough on a peel

sprinkled with cornmeal or flour

Top with Classic Tomato Sauce and

shredded mozzarella cheese

Other toppings may be added at this point

If using fresh sausage, make sure it is fully
cooked before using as topping.

Slide the pizza onto the pre-heated
pizza stone and bake for 20-30 minutes.

If not using a pizza stone: place stretched dough
onto a large oiled baking sheet and apply toppings.


Bake as above. Repeat process for each pizza.

Note: in class Susan oiled the pizza all over
before shaping it, this made a very crisp crust.
She also placed the pizza on parchment paper when she baked it.

Mini pizzas are basically prepared the same way

The pizza is ready when the bottom is nicely browned
and the sauce is bubbling through the melted
cheese on the top. This takes about 20-25 minutes.

Classic Tomato Sauce:
Susan J. Sady

1/3 cup extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped

Getting the garlic ready to make the sauce

1 cup diced onion

Chopping the onions for the sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 (28 ounce) can Diced tomatoes in juice

1 ½ cups Water
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon Sugar, optional

1. Over low heat, lightly brown the garlic cloves in olive oil.
2. Add the onions and sauté until onions are translucent and beginning to brown.


3. Stir in spices.
4. Add tomatoes and water and simmer bout 15 minutes.

Add tomato paste, mixing well.
5. Add water, if necessary, to achieve desired thickness.
6. Simmer for at lest 10 minutes more, stirring often,

adding more water if needed. Tomato sauce burns easily, so keep close eye on it. Simmer longer for a fuller flavored sauce. Add sugar near the end of cooking time for a sweeter sauce.

Suggestions for Toppings:


1. Cooked pork sausage

Sauteing sausage

2. Fried Genoa salami

Salami frying (cut into piece to put on pizza)

3. Grated Parmesan Cheese


4. Grated Muenster Cheese
5. Sautéed broccoli in garlic and olive oil

Chopping the broccoli

Sauteed broccoli with a little water and
olive oil

6. Sautéed red, green and yellow peppers
7. Raw pepper topping

Slicing the peppers for both the sauteed peppers
and the raw pepper topping

(sauteed)

Finely diced for the raw pepper topping

Peppers sauteing

Mushrooms added in with the peppers


Raw pepper dish with roasted garlic on the side
Note to prepare roasted garlic, cut about 1-inch
piece off the top of a whole bulb of garlic
cut a square of tin foil and place a drizzle of
olive oil on the foil, sprinkle some salt and pepper
place the bulb on the oil, drizzle some more olive oil
on the sop of bulb, sprinkle with salt and pepper
wrap in foil. Bake at 400 for about 30-40 minutes
When cool, squeeze the cloves gently from the bulb

8. Sautéed sweet onions until caramelized

Slicing the onions to be sauteed

Onions sauteing with a little olive oil
and a speck of sugar added at the end

9. Roasted garlic
10. Pepperoni
11. Mushrooms, sliced and sautéed

Slicing the mushrooms

12. Scallions

Chopping Scallions

13. Fresh basil
14. Sliced Tomatoes
15. Mix and match, create your own!!!!