Pizza Crust Recipes??!!

Ok. So Jenise posted the "what's your fav pizza crust" right? We now know what we all like. So now the question is- how do i make my favorite pizza dough at home? I've never been much of a bread dough kind of guy, but there's a first time for everything right? Forumites unleash your pizza-crust-hound-dog and huntdown/post your pizza crust recipes and let's get rollin' out the dough for some pizza pie adventure!! It's high time I had one by now!


P. S. Wine pairing for your pie?

3 cups unbleached AP or bread flour
1-1/4 cups water (lukewarm)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 package or 1 Tbsp yeast
Proof the yeast in the water for 5 minutes.
Mix the sugar and salt into the flour and add the yeast/water mixture.
Mix thoroughly and knead. Allow to rise for 30-45 minutes. Spread out and make pizza.
Easy way - If you have a bread machine, you can simply dump the ingredients into it and set it for "dough". Cheap Chianti.

Pizza for Two

1 3/4 cups bread flour
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1TB olive oil

I mix all together and let it rest 5-10 minutes.* Then knead until it comes together and works easily (maybe 5 min.) and place in oiled bowl and let rise several hours until about double in size

I roll it out on floured parchment paper, dock entire crust with a fork and top. I slide parchment and all onto the stone and bake for about 10 min. I preheat the oven to at least 500 and bake at around 450.

*My thanks to Celia for the tip about letting the dough rest. It really makes a difference.

You might also check out this thread. Celia did a tutorial on making pizza: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21111&hilit=pizza

Get Carol Field's Italian Baker...Fantastic book--my fave pizza crust comes from that book.

I preheat the oven to at least 500 and bake at around 450.

Why do you turn down the oven? Do you not like crisp pizza?

My oven only goes to 500 and I wish it were hotter.

I preheat the oven to at least 500 and bake at around 450.

Why do you turn down the oven? Do you not like crisp pizza?

My oven only goes to 500 and I wish it were hotter.

My pizza is crispy. One time I cooked it at full heat and almost burned it, and my stone is on the bottom rack in the oven. This way I get a crispy pizza without it being too brown on top.

My pizza is crispy. One time I cooked it at full heat and almost burned it, and my stone is on the bottom rack in the oven. This way I get a crispy pizza without it being too brown on top.

How long do you leave it in?

My pizza stone is also on the bottom rack and I always cook it for 3-5 minutes at 500 (and 550 on my old oven) and it never burns. I would think that lower heat and longer cooking temperatures might increase the likelihood of burning.

My pizza is crispy. One time I cooked it at full heat and almost burned it, and my stone is on the bottom rack in the oven. This way I get a crispy pizza without it being too brown on top.

How long do you leave it in?

My pizza stone is also on the bottom rack and I always cook it for 3-5 minutes at 500 (and 550 on my old oven) and it never burns. I would think that lower heat and longer cooking temperatures might increase the likelihood of burning.

I bake it for 10 minutes.

I'm sure the Pizza Princess will chime in here, and I am under her tutelage. She prefers imported Italian "00" flour if you can get it, to which I've been adding a bit of rye flour (at least a half cup in a 3 cup recipe). I find the rye gives the dough a wonderful rich nutty flavor and visually adds nice dark flecks. Cooking time varies greatly with the thickness of the crust. I've seen as little as 5-7 minutes and as many as 15. I try to push the time as long as possible - until I see the edges browning - to get maximum crispness. I have the oven a 500˚ and heat it for at least an hour before I am ready to bake.

I bake it for 10 minutes.

Aha, that makes sense.

Professional pizza ovens are 700-900 degrees but they go much faster.

[Jenise]

Get Carol Field's Italian Baker...Fantastic book--my fave pizza crust comes from that book.

Btw, on your raves I bought the book. Still haven't made the pizza dough, but at least I bought the book!

*My thanks to Celia for the tip about letting the dough rest. It really makes a difference.

You might also check out this thread. Celia did a tutorial on making pizza: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21111&hilit=pizza

Linda, I'm glad it helps! I've made a slight change to my pizza dough recipe since my last post - I now add a scoop of sourdough starter (for flavour) and cut the salt back just a little. I also now work the dough into a circle by hand instead of using the rolling pin - as per many suggestions - and find it produces a more interesting crust. The rolled out one was a bit too even and flat...

I also now work the dough into a circle by hand instead of using the rolling pin - as per many suggestions - and find it produces a more interesting crust. The rolled out one was a bit too even and flat...

I've started doing that also. Resting the dough makes it easier to knead and maybe results in it being easier to work into shape.

Jenise,

oh, glad to hear you got The Italian Baker. I dragged it out this morning when I had to make, that's right MAKE amaretti bec. I couldn't find them anywhere in oh-so-cosmopolitan Weston, FL. Except I learned I can get them at Starbuck's and at World Market/Cost Plus...They were so tasty, plenty left to eat with my cafe con leche tomorrow..but I used them for the 15 minute Amaretti Torte from Dorie Greenspan...

I digress. what I really wanted to tell you is that I make the Pizza alla Siciliana --it's my go to. For Bread, I make the Pane Pugliese. The grissini..made those after Robin wrote about them once...And I was just going through my little black book from when I first started cooking in restaurants...I loved loved loved (pastry chef) Laura Lerner's bread pudding at Union Square Cafe in NYC--and there it is: Bread Pudding from Carol Field. At the time, I had no idea who she was, but I wanted Laura's bread pudding. For all I know, I bought the book bec. Laura told me to. I just looked--got it at The Strand for $10 in 1988. Heh.

I also think I got it for the Cornmeal Cake. Bec. I love that Italian cornmeal pound cake. ANd I don't think I hav EVER made it...

My how time flies.

2 cups hi-gluten flour
3/4 cup cool water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
i tsp olive oil

Mix ingredients and knead in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5-10 minutes, until you can get a bakers window. Shape it into a tight ball and put it in a gallon size ziplock that has had a couple shots of Pam sprayed in it. fold the bag over so the ball is sitting on the zip but don't seal it. Let this slow rise in the fridge until doubled in size, about 24 hours. -RP

So that's it?? No whole wheat recipes, no double crust, no deep dish, no no-knead, no buckwheat flour, no brown rice flour, no tapioca flour, no glutinous rice flour, no gluten free recipes...just a bunch of thin crust white flour purists following the one and only true path?

I'm sure the Pizza Princess will chime in here, and I am under her tutelage. She prefers imported Italian "00" flour if you can get it, to which I've been adding a bit of rye flour (at least a half cup in a 3 cup recipe). I find the rye gives the dough a wonderful rich nutty flavor and visually adds nice dark flecks. Cooking time varies greatly with the thickness of the crust. I've seen as little as 5-7 minutes and as many as 15. I try to push the time as long as possible - until I see the edges browning - to get maximum crispness. I have the oven a 500˚ and heat it for at least an hour before I am ready to bake.

bob- this is beautiful! & the addition of rye flour is a great idea for color & texture . . . i have a friend who was recently at a pizzaria in italy & the owner's motto was, "no pizza, no party" . . . who can argue with that! all we need in life is a good set of friends, a good pizza & a bottle of red wine!

So that's it?? No whole wheat recipes, no double crust, no deep dish, no no-knead, no buckwheat flour, no brown rice flour, no tapioca flour, no glutinous rice flour, no gluten free recipes...just a bunch of thin crust white flour purists following the one and only true path?

i always use some whole wheat flour & sometimes i add beer for part of the liquid . . . i usually pre-cook the crust after brushing it with olive oil . . . & i precook all of the aromatics. after the second round in the oven i sprinkle it with fresh chopped basil or parsley.

Now that we all know what our fav crust is, thanks to Jenise, and how to make it, thanks to Aaron, let's talk about how to cook it! I almost always girll my pizza on my Webber over hardwood charcoal and use the over only if its reaaly pouring rain. I've never used a pizza stone or pan of any type. How about you?

I cook them on a Big Green Egg over lump charcoal, 500 degrees, about 10 minutes. -RP

Just last night I watched Hubert Keller (on a previously recorded show) make a great looking pizza dough using much the same recipe as everyone here…with one exception. He said that the secret to a great workable dough was to use ½ Bread Flour and ½ Cake Flour. Beautiful dough…he made a bacon, onion & gruyere pizza on super thin, crisp crust. Looked pretty tasty. I’ll have to try the recipe out.

Richard

Dough (from the _Simple Cooking_ newsletter):

4 oz King Arthur bread flour
1 oz Semolina
3 oz whole wheat pastry flour
5.5 oz water
.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp yeast

Cooked as high the oven will go. My current oven gets to about 575 F, which means the pizza (thin) is done in 5-6 minutes.

I use 6 inch by 6 inch glazed tiles instead of a baking stone -- the smaller size means that they are less likely to crack from heating and cooling.

EDIT: it takes a 2x2 square of 6 inch tiles to hold a pizza. Make sure you buy tiles that will handle the heat.

Just last night I watched Hubert Keller (on a previously recorded show) make a great looking pizza dough using much the same recipe as everyone here…with one exception. He said that the secret to a great workable dough was to use ½ Bread Flour and ½ Cake Flour. Beautiful dough…he made a bacon, onion & gruyere pizza on super thin, crisp crust. Looked pretty tasty. I’ll have to try the recipe out.

Richard

What he's probably trying to do is limit the amount of gluten. I've experimented with that idea by using a teeny bit of vinegar.

I cook them on a Big Green Egg over lump charcoal, 500 degrees, about 10 minutes. -RP

Randy, do you use a pizza stone, or any kind of stone, and what temperature do you get the BGE up to? (I have a Kamado)