ISO: foolproof pizza dough recipe

[JodiL]

Hello all, I decided to make a second attempt at homemade pizza and was wondering if anyone has a foolproof (ie. idiotproof!) recipe for pizza dough. Cooking Light has done several and earlier this year it was featured in the cooking class, but they didn't print directions for using a food processor. Please share your pizza dough wisdom! Thanks. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[MrsReber]

Don't know if this one will help you. I have a bread machine and I simply use the recipe that came with the machine, as follows:

2/3 cup warm water (80 degrees)
1 Tbs oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1 Tbs dry milk
1 tsp yeast

I put it on the dough cycle for a 1 pound loaf of bread. I also add italian seasoning and romano cheese before the second rising. Then I simply put some cornmeal on my pizza stone, roll out the crust and bake it for 7-10 minutes before I put the topping on it. This recipe can make one thick crust or two thin crusts. I just made one last night, as a matter of fact.

[Gail]

Hi Jodi,

I was expecting to hear from you about pizza dough... I'll be back a little later with a recipe.

Did you ever brave the phyllo?

[lindrusso]

I often make my own pizza and I have two recipes that work really well for me. I recently switched to the Cooking Light recipe featured earlier this year (the one with the calzones, pizzas and focaccia) because my other recipe called for olive oil.

I used to use my food processor for the dough with olive oil, but have since gotten a Kitchen Aid mixer and don't use the processor any more.

When I used the processor I would proof the yeast with the water and meanwhile process the salt and flour (I put all the flour in the processor at one time) just to combine it well. Then I would slowly add the water/yeast combo to the flour/salt and process (on a fairly low speed) until the dough began to pull away from the sides and formed a ball. Then take the dough out and knead as directed (10 minutes for this recipe, I believe.)

With the mixer I use the paddle attachment to encorporate the flour for the first cup or two and then, as the dough thickens, I switch to the dough hook. The advantage of the mixer is that you can let the dough hook knead the dough for 5 minutes instead of kneading by hand for 10! I'm much more likely to make dough with this method!!

Hope this helps a little.

I would stick with the Cooking Light recipe - it's easy and no added fat, but if you want the other recipe, I'd be happy to post it.

[Gail]

I've done a lot of pizza-making and think this is a great "beginner" recipe to hone pizza making skills. The amount of olive oil used is negligible, as it came from another health-friendly publication.

QUICK-RISING DOUGH

Rapid-rise is a strain of yeast that does not need to be dissolved separately in liquid and requires a 10-minute resting time instead of the traditional 1- to 2-hour rise. If you have a large-capacity food processor, you can use it to cut down on kneading time.

4- 4 1/4 cups all-porpose white flour
2 packages Rapid-Rise yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3 cups flour, yeast, salt and sugar. In a small saucepan, combine 1 3/4 cups water and oil. Heat until hot to the touch (about 120 degrees.) With a wooden spoon, gradually stir the oil and water mixture into the flour mixture. Beat until well mixed. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a firm, soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic and let rest for 10 minutes.

Alternately, in a large-capacity food processor, combine 4 cups flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Heat 1 1/2 cups water and oil till hot to the touch. With the motor running, gradually pour the hot liquid through the feed tube. Process, adding up to 2 tablespoons cold water until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, cover with plastic and let rest for 10 minutes. (The dough can be made ahead, punched down, enclosed in a large plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Makes eight 6-inch crusts

244 CALORIES PER CRUST: 7 G PROTEIN, 2 G FAT, 49 G CARBOHYDRATE; 534 MG SODIUM; 0 MG CHOLESTEROL

(From Eating Well Magazine)

Hints: The food processor method also works great with a Kitchenaid, and I've tried it all three ways. Frankly, this is a great one to try your hand at hand kneading, just to get a feel for pizza dough. One mistake novices sometimes make is getting the water too hot. Too hot kills the yeast. (I don't bother heating water and oil on the stove. In my house, I get the tap water as hot as it goes and by the time I mix the water in, it's cooled a little and is about right.) By smooth and elastic, we're talking about a mixture that neither sticks to the bowl nor to your hands. Sometimes, I do the last bit of kneading by hand to get the consistency right. Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour on your work surface (a tablespoon or two-- we don't want bricks this time), fold the dough in half over itself and lean into it with the heels of your hands, flattening it out. Then make a quarter turn with the dough, fold it up again and repeat until the flour is blended evenly. Still too sticky? Add a bit more flour. Your dough will be right when it stops sticking to you and when you push it, it sort of pushes back. (in other words, you start meeting resistance.)

Since this recipe makes a lot, you may wish to cut the recipe in half (I usually do.) Use in a 500 degree oven with a pizza stone.

Were you around when we had our forum on getting pizzas in and out of the oven? If not, feel free... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Good luck!



[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 07-18-2000).]

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Gail:
[B]
Makes eight 60-inch crusts [B]

Now that's a big pizza!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

But seriously, great tips for pizza making.

[Gail]

Originally posted by lindrusso:
Now that's a big pizza!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

But seriously, great tips for pizza making.




YIPES! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif Thanks for catching that.
You've heard of Chicago Pizza-- that one was the pizza that ate Chicago! Glad I came back so soon to change something...

[BethH]

Can I freeze the dough? If so, I could use some pointers! Thanks.

[lorilei]

I've read that it's easiest to par-bake the dough in a pizza shape and THEN freeze the dough. I'd imagine that would work wonderfully with this recipe, and have been aiming to try it myself.

[JodiL]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses.

So, if I use the food processor, I don't need to kneed the dough by hand? Or, should I do it for a few minutes? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/confused.gif

Gail, I haven't made the spinakopita yet as we've been out of town almost every weekend--but I have a cocktail party coming up where I need to bring an appetizer...

It would definitely be handy to have some reserve dough in the freezer. Especially if they make 60-inch pizzas! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif I wonder how many WW points a slice of that would be?? LOL

[laden]

I'm sure this isn't what you meant, but Boboli thin crust is very good for a convenience product. I like it better than the kind in a can.

[Gail]

Originally posted by JodiL:
So, if I use the food processor, I don't need to kneed the dough by hand? Or, should I do it for a few minutes? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/confused.gif



First off, I'm keeping out of the frozen dough debate since I don't know offhand and at the moment I can't go look it up.

Insofar as your question is concerned, here's the deal. Use your processor (I get the feeling you're more comfortable going that route) and when it's done, see how the dough feels. If it meets my criteria, you're home free. If you've got dry flour everywhere despite kneading forever in the processor (very unlikely) you need to add a tiny bit more liquid. And if it's too sticky, then try what I said, kneading it the rest of the way by hand and adding a little flour. Doing it by hand (even a little) really gives you a better grasp of pizza-making (ooh... what a really bad albeit unintentional pun. Sorry.) Besides, mushing dough around is actually kinda fun. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 07-18-2000).]

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by BethH:
Can I freeze the dough? If so, I could use some pointers! Thanks.

I have successfully frozen the CL pizza dough - it worked out just fine. I did not shape it or anything because that way it takes up less room in the freezer (hard to fit a 16-inch or 12-inch disc in my freezer) and it also gives me more flexibility - I am not limited to just pizza, but could make calzones, focaccia, whatever!

I can't give any pointers on shaping and freezing, but I just followed CL's instructions and let the dough rise, punched it down, sprayed the inside of a plastic freezer bag with cooking spray, inserted dough and froze. I take the dough out the night before and then an hour or so before baking I let it sit out on the counter to warm up a little.

This has worked for me in the past and now I try to make a double batch so that I can freeze half - so nice to have it waiting in the freezer!

[Beth]

I have frozen other pizza dough a couple of times. If you freeze it unbaked, you might want to mold it into flatter pieces, rather than a ball. The ball can thaw and rise on the outside before all the inside gets thawed.

If there's anyone out there crazy enough to keep a sourdough started, let me know and I'll post a sourdough pizza crust recipe.

By the way, I experimented on that recipe based on several others. I noticed varying amounts of olive oil, from 1 T to 4T. The more olive oil, the softer the dough will bake. Use less for a crisper crust as well as to reduce fat.

[Kelly]

I've got a great dough recipe for bread machines - I make it very often and usually freeze half of the dough. It makes teh best pizzas and calzones!

1 cup + 2 Tbles water
2 Tbles olive oil
3 cups bread flour
2 Tbles grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsps bread machine yeast


Makes 2 12-inch pizzas. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

[BethH]

Thanks for the frozen pizza dough pointers! I'll go ahead and attempt the pizza dough from the cooking class section a few months ago. I've been timid, but having frozen dough all ready to go sounds so great, I just have to go for it.

This is my favorite part about this BB--it gets me to be much more adventurous in the kitchen! Thanks all--I'll keep you posted on my frozen dough progress! Next to conquer...pie crusts! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Beth:

If there's anyone out there crazy enough to keep a sourdough started, let me know and I'll post a sourdough pizza crust recipe.



I would be interested! Please post!

I've avoided the whole sourdough thing because of the starter, but I'm looking forward to some winter projects this year and to putting my Kitchen Aid to good use.

My other goal is to bake a really good pie - my pies are pretty good for a novice (I usually bake pie(s) once a year at Thanksgiving - hard to perfect the technique at that rate), but I want to practice and become comfortable with the whole thing. But, as usual, I digress...

Thanks for sharing!

[Gail]

Originally posted by BethH:
Next to conquer...pie crusts! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif


So start another thread! I'm game. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[mah]

here is a great pizza dough recipe for bread machines. i use this recipe to make pizza, bread, rolls, calzones and the herbed bread from a few issues back.

two teaspoons yeast--
two tablespoons dry milk
three cups flour
one and one-quarter teaspoon salt
one cup plus two tablesppons water and
one and one-half tablespoons olive oil.

[Beth]

Originally posted by lindrusso:

I would be interested! Please post!


Lindrusso, I tried to post last night and couldn't get back to the server, so I've sent an e-mail. It also turned out to be a bit long to post here (not the pizza crust recipe, but instructions for starting the starter too), but I'll be glad to send the info to anyone else interested in sourdough.