Pizza Dough THICK CRUST INGREDIENTS: ¾ oz. fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 -1/3 cups warm water 3 cups bread flour + extra to dust hands and work surface 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Serves 1 large pizza Preparation 15-20 minutes Time to Rise, about 1 hour 1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with the pizza stone in the oven. 2. Put the fresh or active dry yeast in a small bowl and add about ½ cup of the warm water. 3. Stir gently until the yeast has dissolved. Set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes. 4. Combine the flour and salt in food processor. Pour in the yeast mixture, oil, and all of the remaining warm water to obtain a fairly sticky dough. 5. Dust a clean work surface with extra flour. Scrape all the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Shape into a firm, round ball. 6. Knead the dough. When it is firm and no longer sticks to your hands or the work surface, lift it up and bang it down hard a couple of times to develop the gluten (put it in a big ziplock bag to keep flour from flying everywhere). 7. When ready, the dough will be smooth and elastic and show definite air bubbles beneath the surface. Place it in a large oiled bowl, and cover it with a cloth. Set aside to rise for 1 hour. 8. Don’t worry about overworking or being too rough with the dough. Just make sure it doesn’t become too dry and begin to crack. 9. Some people like a really thin crust. You can stretch the risen dough out to any thickness you like. Just make sure it doesn’t break. 10. The heat in your hands helps develop the gluten. 11. Place the dough on an oiled (I salt the oil with fine sea salt.) pizza pan ( I use a pizza stone, oil it and sprinkle the oil with fine sea salt.) Spread the dough with your finger tips stretching it as you go (I use a small dough roller) until it reaches the edges. 12. Press down around the edges of the pan to create a border, which will keep the topping from seeping off the pizza during cooking. 13. Add your choice of sauce and toppings. Set aside to rise for a few minutes. 14. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the crust is crisp and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. 15. Serve Hot.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 16:23:36 +0000
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