| My Pizza dough
Posted: 11/20/2007 11:48:48 PM | This is how I make my Pizza dough using a Food Processor. This can also be made using a bread machine, kitchen aid mixer, or by hand (yes by hand).
Start by adding the following into your food Processor.
1 cup warm water (between 95° and 115° F.)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp honey
Mix on low for 30 sec, then add the following.
2 Tbsp yeast
Mix on low for 30 sec, then add the following
1 cup flour
Mix for 30 sec, then add the following.
Remaining 2 1/2 cups flour.
Mix on low until contents form into a dough ball & roll along inside container.
Remove from food Processor and need on floured bread board for at least a minute. This builds the gluten which helps the dough to rise and become fluffy when cooked. Place the dough in a plastic bag or a covered bowl and store in a warm, dry area to rise (I use the oven with the light on to keep it warm).
After about 45 minutes the dough should have about doubled in size. Show it who's the boss and punch it down. That's right, give it a good smack so it deflates. Let it rise for another hour to an hour and a half. The dough is now ready to be rolled out. You can punch the dough down one more time if you want and wait another hour or two before rolling out. The choice is yours.
This dough can also be made in advance and refrigerated for a day or so, or even frozen. Be sure to let the dough come to room temperature before using.
One mistake most people make when working with dough is not using enough muscle. Dough fights back. You push it, it pushes back. You can't really damage it, either. When working with dough, use plenty of flour, but don't let it get too dry. It should be fun to work with, not too sticky and not too crumbly. Form it into a flat ball about six to eight inches wide. Using both hands, one on top of the other, press from the center outwards on it to start stretching it out, turning the dough a bit on each push. You can also pick up the dough and squeeze the edges of it while turning it like a steering wheel. This allows the weight of the dough to stretch it. Once the dough is about 1/2" thick all the way around, use a rolling pin to flatten it out to about 1/4" thick. I usually run the pin over once or twice, flip the dough over and give it a quarter turn and roll it again to make it even. Take a fork and put puncture holes all over the dough. This keeps it from bubbling up while cooking and it also helps to hold the sauce on as well. Transfer dough to pizza peal sprinkled corn meal or place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Top with sauce, cheese and/or toppings and bake in a 550° F. oven until the crust is light brown. Bake on either baking stones or on the cookie sheet or a pizza pan.
Sauce, cheese, and other toppings? let your imagination go wild :-)
Enjoy! | |
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| My Pizza dough
Posted: 11/21/2007 2:36:24 AM |
This dough can also be made in advance and refrigerated for a day or so,
Beware if you do that to use an extra large bowl because I put half a recipe of dough in one of those gladware containers with the lid tightly on and the next day it had went poof and pushed the top right off!
2 T is a lot of yeast. A normal pack of yeast (2 1/4 tsp ) will work fine.
You don't let it rise when formed flat? I always give it 20 minutes or so after flattening to keep it from being too dense.
One mistake most people make when working with dough is not using enough muscle. Dough fights back. You push it, it pushes back.
At the early stage when its just been mixed, yes. The key to any dough fighting you is to walk away and prep other ingredients thus giving the dough ten minutes to "rest".
When working with dough, use plenty of flour, but don't let it get too dry. It should be fun to work with, not too sticky and not too crumbly.
Even easier and more consistent is to oil your hands, the countertop, and the dough itself. Done prior to a rise this prevents the dough from drying on the surface and forming a skin. This works ideal when you keep dough overnight or any long time. It makes dealing with dough an absolute breeze. If it starts to get sticky use a little more oil.
If you use oil and keep the dough on the slightly sticky side (one cup less flour than your recipe) you will find it is much more tender in the end result. Your method works fine but try these tips sometime.
You also don't need the cornmeal now. I never fork mine, either.
I tend to load mine up with more ingredients so I use a 400 F oven. | |
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| My Pizza dough
Posted: 4/27/2008 8:46:36 PM | I have a question about homemade or store bought dough - I hope it's not answered elsewhere but couldn't find anything.
When you go buy a pizza shop pizza, or like the above recipe, you see that the ingredients are put on the raw dough and then it's all cooked in the oven.
But then you see things like the Boboli pizza dough, which is pre-baked, or I just saw on the Down Home with the Neely's show, that they took a raw dough and grilled it on both sides, then put the ingredients on top and stuck it under the broiler. This just seems like it won't taste like a "real" pizza - but since I haven't had a chance to try this way, does anyone have any comments on the taste, or other recommendations for using the pre-cooked dough? It does seem easier...
Thanks in advance!
Debbie
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| My Pizza dough
Posted: 4/28/2008 5:35:18 AM | Pre-cooked pales in comparison to fresh dough. But I have to say if you want to grill it on the BBQ it is much easier and you don't need a special pan.
My mother bought pre-cooked crusts and every Friday we had pizza on them. The toppings all out in bowls and we made our own. But prebaked crust gets crispy and toasted and isn't like the nice soft dough of fresh made pizza.
We prefer the fresh made here.
I use fast rise yeast in mine so after kneading till it fights back, I let it rest while I cut, grate and otherwise prep the other ingredients. By the time it has rested it is ready to put in pans and then when the oven is preheated it is guaranteed to rise nicely. My kids and I still do the bowls of stuff out, each make your own deal. But I do make a full sized pizza so there are leftovers. My middle kid makes a calzone with his, half the ingredients on half the dough and fold over then seal. | |
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| My Pizza dough
Posted: 4/28/2008 6:30:40 AM | hello.
i have a question about your recipy, I make pizza's all the times however have never put honey in it what does that do for the dough?? apart from making it sweater does it activate the yeast more? and ar you using fresh or dry yeast? | |
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| My Pizza dough
Posted: 4/28/2008 6:31:26 AM | hello.
i have a question about your recipy, I make pizza's all the times however have never put honey in it what does that do for the dough?? apart from making it sweater does it activate the yeast more? and ar you using fresh or dry yeast? | |
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| My Pizza dough
Posted: 4/28/2008 6:45:01 AM | I buy the cheap pizza dough mixes like Jiffy or the Walmart brand, about 70 cent a pack then doctor it up, adding a little honey or sugar seems to let it brown better, toss in some Italian seasoning or anything else you have to give it a little taste.
It only takes about 10 minutes and makes a pretty good crust. | |
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