Cooking & Baking Essentials
How To Make 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 ap flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
one
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 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.
two
Punch the dough down & divide into 10 {4-oz} portions.
Roll each piece into a ball on a lightly floured surface.
the dough will be a little sticky but easy to work with
it will feel heavy once punched down & divided into the smaller portions
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
you will notice bubbling under the smooth surface
it should be room temperature to the touch when ready to use
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Make Your Best Homemade Pizza Dough
The 411
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 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.
The Mixing
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.
The Work Bowl Removal
The pizza dough is soft & sticky.
Push the dough away from the hook with well floured hands.
Sprinkle a good bit of flour over the dough in the work bowl.
Shimmy some between the sides & the dough using a rubber spatula.
Allow it to tumble out onto a heavily floured surface.
Notice the loose, easy texture.
It’s not a stiff ball of dough but rather a soft, supple mixture.
A few quick spins will have it shaped into a ball.
The Resting
Preparing pizza dough in advance helps develop the flavor.
It’s also a time saver when planning to entertain.
Place the squirmy dough ball into a lightly greased, very large bowl.
It will expand as it rests in the refrigerator.
Grease the top of the dough as well.
I’m not kidding about the sticky part.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
You don’t want any vents that could result in tough spots later on.
Place in the refrigerator up to 3 days before using.
The Divvy
It’s alive.
After 2 days in the fridge tightly covered with plastic wrap,
your dough may look something like this.
It has risen almost to the top of the bowl.
The dough will be sticky & cold.
Remove it from the bowl & place on a floured surface.
It will feel heavy.
Punch it down & shape into a large dough ball.
Divide the dough into 10 {4-oz} pieces.
Use a kitchen scale for accuracy if you’d like to.
Roll each piece into a ball.
Space evenly on 2 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 up to 45 minutes, if necessary.
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 a lightly greased sheet pan & top away.
etc
Humble Pie
Prepare the dough as directed.
Take it one step further for a made-from-scratch pizza.
The Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Roll & stretch dough portions into 8-inch circles on a lightly floured surface.
Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.
Top the dough with desired pizza ingredients.
you can start the dough on a lightly floured board to get each dough round flattened
then finish shaping directly on the pan for more control
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden & the cheese is melted.
music to your ears
“Sing, Sing, Sing” Benny Goodman
social butterfly
instagram: buttermilklipstick
facebook: Buttermilk Lipstick
twitter: Buttermilk Lipstick@ButtermilkLips
{college football} Rebecca Gordon@TidefanFare
pinterest: Buttermilk Lipstick
Rebecca Gordon
Be sweet.
No comments yet.