Pizza Pizza, yum yum yum!

Last night we went to the country club for dinner. Even though I always enjoy the experience, I've found the food to be just okay. It's not great, it's not bad...just okay. For instance; my chicken was a bit dry, poorly seasoned, and a little on the small side. I ordered chives on my baked potato , and got green onions ( a mistake that annoys me just as much as ordering crab and getting K-Rab), and my shrimp were very delicious, but there were just not enough of them.

My daughter ordered the kids pizza for dinner last night, and I gotta say it was really not the best pizza ever. Come to think of it, the regular sized pizzas aren't the best either. They are, like the rest of the food...just okay. Why do I keep returning to the Oak Tree Country Club if the food is not that great, you ask? Simple...the service is actually WONDERFUL, the wine selection is very good, and the prices are not out of the budget. Not to mention that Tehahchapi does not have any really descent restaurants of any kind. All the restaurants here are mediocre at best, but usually downright crappy most of the time. So we usually find ourselves at the Club most nights when we want to eat out, and we endure the just okay pizza!

I've found over the years that the pizza dough, being the foundation of the pie, is the most important part of the experience. Sauce, cheese, and toppings are completely interchangeable and up to the individual personal taste. So, whether you like tomato sauce, pesto, buffalo chicken, or pepperoni-it's the dough that make the perfect pie!



Here is my take on the classic pizza dough-

Pizza Dough

3 cups AP four

1 tsp Salt

2 Tbs Olive oil

1 Tbs Honey

1c Water (warm)

1 Tbs Yeast

Dissolve yeast in the water. Place everything else in a large bowl. Add water and mix by hand adding flour or water as needed. Knead 5-10 minutes until a tight shiny, smooth textured dough has formed. Rise under refrigeration 3-6 hours until needed. Remove from the fridge and allow to warm up for at least 1 hour. Shape into about a 12-14 inch round.  Place the dough onto the bottom of an upside down sheet pan. Top with your favorite sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 450-500F 12-15 minutes.