Cooking & Baking Essentials
The Technique
Homemade Pizza Dough
Simple recipes sometimes need a little time to develop the best possible result. Really outstanding pizza dough falls into that category. The ingredients are basically nothing more than flour, yeast, water, oil & salt with a touch of honey or sugar. The secret to a good dough lies mainly in the time & patience you are willing to put into the process to produce a stellar crust. It’s not difficult to do in the least. Expect to spend about 5 minutes to mix, then allow it to rest & develop the flavors in the refrigerator. Once you’re ready to prepare the pizzas, simply shape the dough & allow it to rise. Do not rush the process at any stage. Following these steps will yield a flavorful dough with a good chewy texture & when you hit the mark just so, strike up the band because you will have hand crafted something quite spectacular.
Homemade Pizza Dough
makes 2 1/2 lbs dough
A refrigerator-rise dough is simple to make & develops more complex flavors the longer it rests. Be sure to place in an extra large bowl as it will expand a good bit.
2 cups warm water {about 105 degrees}
1 envelope active dry yeast
5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
Stir together the water & the yeast in a measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture should be dissolved & foamy on the surface. Whisk together the flour & the salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, the oil & the honey.
Blend on Medium speed for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer & scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Remove with a bowl scrapper onto a lightly floured board. Form the dough into a ball. Place it in a large lightly greased bowl. Coat the surface with cooking spray & cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
Punch the dough down. Remove it from the bowl & place on a floured surface. It will feel heavy. Shape into a large dough ball. Divide the dough in half. Divide the dough into 10 {4-oz} pieces. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy, if desired. Roll each piece into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Place 5 dough balls 2-inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Lightly grease the dough & cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot 1 hour. The dough will not double in bulk however, you will notice bubbling under the smooth surface. It should be room temperature to the touch when ready. Use as directed in individual recipe applications.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Make Your Best Homemade Pizza Dough
Some of our favorite foods begin with simple ingredients. Stir in a little prep & patience for pizza the whole family will love. Follow these tips for success in your own kitchen.
The Technique
Yeast doughs aren’t difficult to prepare from scratch, however there are techniques you should be familiar with in order to make a successful batch. Aside from that, it takes patience to work with yeast as it needs adequate time to produce quality results. I began baking breads when in grade school all to say that you can certainly pull this off. Here’s what you should know.
No. 1
The Yeast
Dry active yeast can be purchased in 1/4-ounce packets or in small jars. I use both when preparing bread recipes, generally based on what my store has in stock at the time. If purchasing a jar of yeast, store it in the refrigerator after opening. Just be mindful of the expiration date so you don’t find yourself in a jam. You’ll find that 2 1/4 teaspoons is the equivalent to 1 envelope of active dry yeast. It’s a good idea to dissolve dry yeast before using. Simply stir it into warm water & allow to stand for several minutes. Many times a baker will add sugar to the mixture to proof the yeast. The yeast feeds on the sugar & creates air bubbles, proving it is active, alive & good to use for your dough.
Stir together the water & the yeast in a measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture should be dissolved & foamy on the surface.
No. 2
The Mixing Procedure
A heavy duty stand mixer fit with a dough hook is a bread makers friend. It will take care of all of the muscle work when it comes to kneading the dough. Bread doughs will give your mixer a good workout. Don’t leave it unattended as it will rock & shake a bit as the dough mixes.
Whisk together the flour & the salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, the oil & the honey.
Blend on Medium speed for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer & scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Remove with a bowl scrapper onto a lightly floured board.
No. 3
The First Shaping
The pizza dough is soft & sticky. It’s not a stiff ball of dough but rather a soft, supple mixture.
3a
Although you could transfer the dough directly to a bowl, craftsmanship is everything. Take an extra few minutes to complete the task correctly. Press the dough flat. The imprints over the surface are from my fingertips indicating how the dough texture should look.
3b
Gather the edges of the dough & fold them to the center.
3c
Flip the dough over & spin it several times between your hands. Form the dough into a ball.
No. 4
The Resting
Preparing pizza dough in advance helps develop the flavor. It’s also a time saver when planning to entertain. Place the dough ball into a lightly greased, very large bowl. Grease the top of the dough as well. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. It will expand as it rests in the refrigerator. If it does meet the plastic wrap then it will not stick to it. Place in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or up to 3 days before using.
No. 5
The Second Shaping & The Rising
After two days in the refrigerator tightly covered with plastic wrap, it will have risen almost to the top of the bowl. The dough will be sticky & cold.
Punch the dough down. Shape it into a large ball. Divide the dough in half then into 10 {4-oz} portions. Roll each piece into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Place 5 dough balls 2-inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Lightly grease the dough & cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot 1 hour. The dough will not double in bulk however, you will notice bubbling under the smooth surface. It should be room temperature to the touch when ready. Use as directed in individual recipe applications.
5a
Divide the dough in half.
5b
Divide the dough into 10 {4-oz} pieces. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy, if desired.
5c
Roll each piece into a ball. Space evenly on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Spray the surface with a little cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. If you want to make larger pizzas. Divide the dough accordingly. Expect the rise time to increase.
No. 6
The Rolling
Lightly flour a board & pat the dough flat. Lightly flour the top & begin working the dough into a circle with a rolling pin. If you feel as though you’re not making much progress, pick up the dough & stretch with your hands. Place back on the board & continue rolling until you reach a nice sized round. Transfer the dough to lightly greased half sheet pans & sprinkle with pizza toppings.
The Tune
“Sing, Sing, Sing” Benny Goodman
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