Pizza Dough

Whenever I've made pizza dough in the past, I've always followed whatever recipe was on hand. So I set out to develop "my" pizza dough recipe, meaning one I can make automatically, without even thinking. (That doesn't mean it has to be original, just that it works for me.)

I wanted a recipe that could work with fresh or dry active yeast, whichever I happen to have on hand. (As much as I like making focaccia with sourdough starter, this recipe has to be quick enough to compete with a frozen pizza or commercially-made crust.) I also want to be able to make the dough ahead and freeze it in ball-shaped portions that I can pull out one at a time when I'm ready to bake.

I started with a basic recipe from Joy of Cooking:

1 packet dry active yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 °F)
3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

First I converted the 3 1/2 cups of flour to 18 ounces, which is roughly the same, but a lot easier to measure consistently. (If you don't have a kitchen scale, buy one. They aren't expensive, and believe me, it's easier than counting and leveling cup after cup of flour.) For the optional sugar, I compromised on 2 teaspoons. Thus we have the first draft of "my" recipe:

1 packet dry active yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 °F)
18 ounces all-purpose flour (roughly 3 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar (still optional)

I combined the yeast and water in the steel bowl that comes with my stand mixer, gave it a quick stir, and let it sit for about five minutes until the yeast was dissolved. Then I added the other dry ingredients and mixed on low speed using a dough hook attachment for about 10 minutes until the dough was smooth, uniform, and elastic (not my words, but that's how I've been told dough is supposed to feel).

The dough was still a bit moist, so I pulled it out of the bowl, added a handful of flour, and kneaded it by hand a minute or two more. Then I rounded it into a ball, set it back in the bowl, covered it with plastic, and set it in on a window sill in direct sunlight. (This being March in Chicago, I need all the warmth I can get. In the summer, or in the south, this wouldn't be an issue.)

An hour later the dough had roughly doubled in size, so I punched it flat, rolled it into the shape of a french loaf, and sliced it into three small portions and two larger ones, which I rounded into balls, popped into a freezer bag, and set in the freezer. (Rolling it into a loaf shape isn't necessary, but makes it easier to slice it into consistent portions. The smaller ones are roughly golf ball sized, intended for appetizer pizzas; the larger ones are baseball sized.)

To bake, I'll set out however many I need to defrost for an hour or so, roll them flat, and go from there. For the appetizer pizzas, I put them through a pasta machine to yield a very thin crust. The others I do with a rolling pin. I haven't learned to spin the dough in the air yet, but that could be a future posting.

Of course this is only a first step. Next time I'll try switching from all-purpose flour to bread flour, which has a higher protein content. I'll also try skipping the sugar and compare the result, and experiment with different proofing times (how long to let it rise before or after freezing). And over time, I will develop "my" recipe, which will make it's way to this blog.

Update: I tried baking with the dough the other day and it worked fine, even though I rushed the defrosting. I pulled two of the smaller balls (golf ball sized, approx 3 oz) from the freezer and set them in a warm oven (175°F) for a few minutes. This is the wrong way to do it because the outside begins to rise while the inside is still frozen, but I needed to get dinner on the table. Then I kneaded it for a minute or two, rolled it flat in a pasta machine -- this makes long, narrow pizzas with very thin crust -- and topped it with a bit of tomato paste (mixed with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper), carmelized onions, and Mexican crumbling cheese. Baked it up at 425 and it tasted great.

Comments

[Melissik]

One afternoon, I was in the backyard hanging the laundry when an old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home. But when I walked into the house, he followed me, sauntered down the hall and fell asleep in a corner. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back. He resumed his position in the hallway and slept for an hour.
This continued for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: "Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap. "
The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: "He lives in a home with ten children - he's trying to catch up on his sleep."

I cried from laughter
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