Pizza just might be the most versatile après ski food out there. If you're looking for a meal to devour and get back to skiing or snowboarding there is nothing simpler than a quick slice. At the end of the day when your body is craving carbs after shredding the gnar then a whole pie to share with your friends really hits the spot. Carby, saucy and cheesy, pizza is the ultimate après ski comfort food, pairing perfectly with sore legs and craft beer.
Pizza is My Family's Go To Après Ski Food
For my family and I, pizza is an après ski food staple. It doesn't matter where we are skiing but you can pretty much guarantee that there is a slice or five in our future. It's just easy and the kids love it. Regulars at Mount Snow, Tony's Pizza is our go to spot. Located just inside the doors of the main base lodge, you don't have to walk very far before you can have a slice in your hand. What's even better is that Tony's is conveniently located just outside the bar Canned. There isn't a more perfect scenario for my wife and I. We can enjoy our pizza with some tasty craft beers as our daughters devour there's right alongside us.
Do You Purchase Your Pizza Dough or Make Your Own?
Obviously, pizza is more than just a signature après ski food at many ski resorts. It is one of the primary dishes in many American families. Après surf, it's pizza. Friday nights, it's pizza. Don't know what the hell to have for dinner, yup, it's pizza. Most of the time we order out, but of late my wife and daughters have been begging me to make my own every Friday night. Flattered by how much they enjoy my pies, I willingly oblige.
"I became rather spoiled by the amazing pizza that each NYC borough has to offer."
Having gone to college in Staten Island I became rather spoiled by the amazing pizza that each NYC borough has to offer. That said I always thought it too tough to compete when it came to making my own pizza dough. It was just easier and better to buy it premade.
Normally, I'd purchase my dough from Whole Foods. Coming straight from an Italian Bakery on Arnold Ave in the Bronx, it's really tough to top. Although I highly recommend it, I've been feeling a bit like a hack for not making my own. So through trial and error I developed my homemade pizza dough recipe and am confident that I finally nailed it.
A Pizza Recipe Inspired by Après Ski
Pizza Dough Ingredients
2 tsp Dry Active Yeast
1 3/4 luke warm water
1 Tbsp Molasses
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 1/2 cups 00 Bread Flour (plus more for dusting)
2 tsp salt
Marinara Sauce
1 Can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 an onion diced
1 tbsp of oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
3 basil leave roughly chopped
Toppings
1 ball of fresh mozzarella
Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Step by Step instructions for the pizza dough
- Combine lukewarm water, molasses, yeast and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together and let sit for 10 minutes. Yeast will activate and start to bubble when ready.
- In the Kitchen Aid Mixing bowl mix together bread flour and salt then make a well in the center.
- After 10 minutes is up, pour the water mixer into the well of the flour in the Kitchen Aid. Using the bread hook attachment stir until dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Dust your work surface with excess flour, remove your dough from the bowl and knead for 10 minutes. YES, 10 MINUTES! When finished, form into a ball.
- Using about 1/2 the remaining olive oil, oil a bowl then roll your dough ball in it so all sides are covered. Cover the dough in plastic wrap or a towel and let sit a minimum of 1 hour but overnight is preferable.
Preparing the Marinara Sauce
- Dice onions and finely chop the garlic. In a medium pot heat olive oil and add the onions. Sweat out a bit then season with salt and pepper and add the garlic. Cook for about another minute prior to adding the can of tomatoes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend tomatoes onions and garlic together until sauce is smoother but still slightly chunky. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove from the pot and use a regular blender.
- Add oregano and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let simmer covered on low heat for about 30 minutes
Cooking the Pizza
- If using your over, heat it up to as high as it can go (preferably 500 degrees or above). Place pizza stone in the center of the oven to heat along with it. I prefer to use my Camp Chef Pellet Smoker because it cooks the pizzas perfectly while also giving them a wood fired taste. If using a smoker, heat as high as it can go.
- Pound the risen dough down, form into a ball and roll out to desired thickness.
- If cooking in the oven place rolled out dough on a peel (pizza spatula) using a ladle spread sauce out on the dough. Ripping the fresh mozzarella into pieces, spread out around the pizza so that there are pieces in all areas. Sprinkle a tablespoon of grated pecorino romano uniformly around the dough and drizzle a little of the remaining olive oil on top.
- Placing on top of the pizza stone, let cook until cheese melts and dough gets brown and crispy. Then remove from the oven and let sit for about five minutes prior to cutting and serving.
- If using your Camp Chef Pellet Smoker, place rolled out dough directly on the grates of the grill and let one side cook until crisp. Flip over and pull off using your peel.
- Follow step 3 from above covering the crispy side of the pizza with sauce, mozzarella, grated pecorino and olive oil.
- Return to the smoker and follow step four from above.
- Slice and serve with iced cold craft beer.
