Let’s Talk Pizza…
Some people think pizza can’t be as good when you make it at home. Or if it is just as good, you have to have a lot of fancy equipment. I’ve worked on a pizza dough recipe for years, based on an original recipe from my mom. My family always made homemade bread, especially for holiday meals. I modified my mom’s crescent yeast roll recipe to be my favorite pizza dough.
Above: Margarita Pizza with olive oil base, medium crust (thickness), sliced tomato, chopped onion, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil leaves.
One of the great things about pizza is that you can satisfy almost every kind of eating. That is, for those who eat flour. For a flourless pizza, I have ideas for some tasty alternatives.
For a flour based pizza dough, here is the basic recipe:
1 c. Hot water from your facet (not boiling)
3 tsp. Rapid Yeast
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp salt
Spices to taste
Pour hot water into a bowl (If you have a KitchenAid or similar mixer use the dough attachment). Add the yeast, and turn on low for about a minute. If doing this by hand, just mix the yeast and water with a spatula for a minute. Add the sugar and salt.
Let the yeast mixture rest for a couple of minutes. You will see bubbles form on top. Turn on your mixer and let it run on medium for a couple more minutes, or mix by hand for same amount of time.
Add 3 c bread flour -first turn off mixer, then add flour one cup at a time. You may need slightly more than 3 cups. You want the dough to be soft, not sticky. Now is the time to add whatever spices you want to your dough. I used to not use spice, and just add seasoning to the toppings, but I find that adding something to the crust adds a lot more flavor.
Cover the bowl with your dough in it with either a silicone cover (these are great, I highly recommend them, and they are super inexpensive), or use plastic wrap.
Let your dough sit, covered, for at least an hour in a warm place. I put mine on the stove, and turn on the hood lights to add some warmth. Make sure it is not in a breezy area. Rising yeast likes a warm, dry area.
The dough will almost double in size. This is perfect.
Now, three important decisions to make.
1. What thickness do you want your pizza?
2. Do you prefer a really crispy crust, or a chewy one?
3. What base and toppings do you want?
If you want a really crispy crust, then you will use a smaller amount of dough, and roll it out with a rolling pin to be super thin. It should almost feel like a flour tortilla in your hands.
If you want a thick crust, then select the amount of dough you want based on the baking sheet or stone you plan to use. I have these 4x4” baking stones I bought a few years ago that work great to make “single size” pizzas. If you have kids, this is a great treat for them to “decorate” their own personal pizza.
Baking stones are hearty and can go right in the oven, or you can put them on the grill if you want to make grilled pizza.
If you are making a very thick crust, I recommend you pre-bake your crust in a 425 degree convection oven for about 10 minutes. The time will depend on the thickness and size of your crust. You want your pizza crust to be slightly brown.
For a very thin crust, no pre-baking is necessary.
TOPPINGS:
Choose your base- olive oil or tomato sauce, or no base at all.
Then add your toppings: veges, meat, cheese. For any meats other than pepperoni, you want to pre-cook. I like to put cheese down first, then add toppings. I may add a shallow layer of cheese on the top right before putting it in the oven. This is definitely a taste preference.
BAKE:
425 degree oven (convection).
Thin crust pizzas will be done in 8–10 minutes. Bake to your desired level of crispiness.
Thick crust pizza will take longer, usually 10–15 minutes. Again, it’s based on how chewy you want your dough to be.
Above: Extra crispy, thin crust pepperoni pizza with olive oil base, chopped onion, uncured pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.
Let me know what kind of pizza you make!
