PIZZA CRUST- Mastering yeast breads takes time, finesse and plenty of trial and error. The more you make it, the better your texture, shape and overall taste will be. With that being said, these 2 basic recipes are great to have in your arsenal. The basic white is fun because you can change the flavor my adding your favorite dried spices and herbs. The honey whole wheat is my absolute favorite and is a big hit in our family. If you are having trouble with technique (i.e.- you dough turns out too chewy, dry, thin, ext, leave a comment and I am happy to help).
Basic White Pizza Crust
1 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Pour yeast into bowl of a mixer (kitchen aide, ext . . if you don't have one- it can be done by hand everything just takes longer). Sprinkle yeast with sugar and mix together. Add 1 cup warm water and whisk together with yeast. Let yeast proof for 10 minutes.
Add 1/2 of flour, salt, and olive oil. Turn mixer on low, combine well. Add the rest of the flour, once combined, turn mixer up 1 speed and let dough knead for 5 minutes, the dough should be soft.
Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise until TRIPLED in bulk- at least 1 1/2 hours- 2 in a cooler house. Friends and fam frequently ask me how my pizza crust turns out so good- I SWEAR TIME IS A BIG PART. Start early and just leave your dough alone!
Punch dough down and knead in hands, making sure to get ALL AIR OUT. Again, take your time a do a good job. If it's a little sticky, add a tad of flour to your hands &/or the dough.
Shape pizza into a round ball and begin to flatten out by hand. Once a disk, place dough on floured board and roll into desired size. Yes, in a perfect world, we would all throw our dough up, but lets be honest, how many people can actually do that. I am getting there, I do it at the beginning and then roll it the rest of the way. This, takes time and practice, so start with the basic- a rolling pin on a floured board.
Dough turns out best when placed on a slightly heated pizza stone (use what you have).
Put the dough on whatever you are going to bake it on FIRST, add pizza toppings
Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes
HONEY WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA CRUST
1 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
Pinch sugar
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour (plus more if needed)
3 TBS Olive Oil
3TBS Honey
Follow the same exact directions for the basic, add the honey when you add the olive oil. Also, because of the extra oil and honey, this recipe needs extra flour. Add it slowly, you can always add more, but you can't take it away. Dough should be soft and almost sticky (you should just barley be able to place it in the bowl with out it sticking to your hands)
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6 comments:
Great! Thanks! This is Thursday night dinner, adn I'm super excited about the Honey Whole Wheat! Missed ya tonight at the commitee thing. When do you start teaching? How did it go today at 24? I'm ready to be kicked into shape!
Oh, I am excited for you! I did go tonight, I was just REALLY late! It was fun though. I am actually meeting at 24 tomorrow, so I will let you know. Let me know how your pizza turns out!
Yes, the honey and wheat recipe sounds so good. I will have to try it. We love to make pizza all the time (many varieties) because they are so good and easy.
The basic white is exactly like my crust recipe, except I don't at the oil. But I think it needs it! I will add about a cup (sometimes half and half) of wheat as well. It's easy and I love it! I'll also put some Italian seasonings in it.
Your pictures make me want to eat! :)
Heather, you are right, pizzas are easy, I make them all the time too- there are a million and more different ways to make a pizza and it's really fun!
The olive oil really helps with the texture of the pizza. I also love to add italian seasonings, or sometimes a singular herb like rosemary or basil. One of my favorites is to add a tablespoon of garlic powder- it seams like a lot but it's really good!
sorry to only pick out a mistake, but if you want to fix it at the top of this it says in bold "TRAIL" instead of "trial"....
And I can vouch for the tastiness of this exquisite bread...its DANG good!
D-ROCK- no sorry necessary, I always appreciate feedback. I am realizing I need to post slower and read what I write. I am always so busy I just think about getting the food out there- I have a lot to learn- thanks for the nice comments! I will for sure make challah for you! This Sunday is Mitch's bday dinner, I am excited you can come. Next time we will do challah.
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