Let's talk about Pizza. That tasty treat that almost everyone loves (with the exception of my Grandma Bettye, who always called it a "glorified grilled cheese sandwich"). Well, quality pizza is SO amazing...and homemade pizza is a lot of fun to make! But, you have to start from scratch with a great pizza crust.
I have a couple of pizza crust recipes and it has taken a while to perfect my recipes. This recipe is for a typical white pizza dough - and I learned a few tricks from watching Tyler Florence's "Ultimate" episode. Here are the ingredients:
That is all that is in Pizza Crust! And, I really think Kosher Salt is the best to use in this recipe. It is coarser than your regular Morton Table Salt - and I use it in quite a few recipes. You're also going to need one of these:
A food processor fitted with a metal blade. This is really a time saving trick - you don't have to knead it as much when you use it. You pulse the flour and salt together in the processor, so the salt mixes evenly in.
Now...here is the tricky part. It's called proofing yeast. You mix the warm water, sugar and yeast in a bowl or measuring cup, stirring gently. You want to make sure your water is warm (100 degrees to 110 degrees). Why is this tricky? If the water is too hot, it kills the yeast. If it's too cold, the yeast won't activate. After 5-10 minutes, the yeast should look like this:
See how it has a foamy head on it? Like a root beer float? If you don't have that head, it's not going to cut it. You need to start over with warmer/colder water. I actually went through 3 packets of yeast on this night. Once the yeast is proofed, poor it into the running food processor.
It's going to form a doughy ball. This is when you drizzle in your olive oil (with the processor running).
Why...hello Zoe! I see your little face sneaking in to the photo and staring up at our dinner. You're not getting ANY of that delicious dough ball...so fagettaboutit!
Next, turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface. I LOVE these pastry sheets, but they aren't required. Knead the dough until it doesn't feel super damp any more (they call it "smooth and elastic). I usually only have to knead for a minute or too - you just don't want it to be super sticky.
Then, stick it in a lightly oiled bowl (Pam or EVOO are fine) and put a damp towel over it. Stick it in a warm place to hang out for about an hour.
My! How you've grown! Almost double in size! I'm so proud...
Now, spread it out to the shape you want. Round? Great! Rustic Rectangle? Ok!
Side note: you are going to need to preheat your oven to 450 degrees WITH a cookie sheet, pizza stone, or whatever you want to cook the pizza on in that hot oven. I have a pizza stone, but I don't use it a lot because, if you do this recipe the right way, you can use a cookie sheet (which is easier to clean).
When the oven is preheated, and you are ready to make your pizza, pull the pan out of the oven (make sure it is on something that won't burn your counter) and drizzle olive oil over it.
Now, carefully put your dough on olive oil. You will hear a sizzle. That is the bottom of your crust, starting to get crispy! I usually shape the dough a little more on the pan...and if you want more defined and puffy crust, make a little crust here...but remember THE PAN SHOULD BE SMOKIN' HOT! So don't burn yourself.
Now, top it with whatever, put it in the oven for 15-18 minutes until it's golden and bubbly. I'll post my recipe for Margherita Pizza next (vegetarian option for pizza - the old school Italian way).
Fresh Pizza Dough:
1 pkg active dry yeast
1t sugar
1 c. warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
1T kosher salt
3c unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1T EVOO
In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water and stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast starts to foam, 5 to 10 minutes.
In a food processor, combine the salt and flour and pulse a few times to mix. Add the yeast mixture while the processor is running. Run until the dough forms a ball (about 2 minutes). Drizzle the olive oil in with the processor running. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times, kneading until it is smooth and elastic.
Form the dough into a round and put it into a lightly oiled bowl, turning it over to coat the dough entirely with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Top it with your favorite pizza toppings and bake it until it is golden and bubbly (about 15-18 minutes). This is super yum! Let me know if you have questions.
