In Greek: the Greek word for pizza is lathenia (also spelled ladenia), λαδένια, say: lah-THEN-yah.
This is my granddaughter Aliki's favorite pizza. Make it with pita bread or this easy pizza dough recipe that calls for self-rising flour.
- 3 x 6-7" diameter pieces of pita bread or
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- For the pizza dough:
- 4 cups of self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 cup of butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups of milk
- olive oil for brushing
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- For the toppings:
- 1 bell pepper, cut in thin rings
- 4 tomatoes, cut in thin slices
- 1 pound of ham, cut in thin slices
- 1/4 pound of thinly sliced smoked bacon
- grated cheese (see below)
Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Combine all dough ingredients. Knead for 20 minutes and set aside until the oven has preheated and toppings are ready. The dough will start to rise. Roll out to a thickness of 1/4 inch, and brush lightly with olive oil.
Layer the toppings: ham, tomato, bacon, peppers, each layer covering the dough from side to side. Sprinkle with your choice of cheese, in the amount you want. Aliki prefers a mixture of parmagiano reggiano, gouda, and mozzarella, and she doesn't care for too much.
- Note: If using pita bread, brush lightly with olive oil on both sides and layer as above.
Bake at 390°F (200°C) for 30 minutes.
Yield: makes one 18-inch pizza, two 9-inch pizzas, or three 6-inch pizzas (small pita bread size).