Classic Pizza Crust Food

AN ITALIAN'S CLASSIC PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine salt, honey, olive oil, and cool water.
• Mix well and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine warm water and yeast. Allow to proof for ten minutes.
• After proofing combine honey mixture and yeast in one large mixing bowl.
• Add flour, one cup at a time, into the combined liquid mixture. Dough is an art - depending on your paradigm you may want to work this with your hands, add a T of water if it is dry.
• Place dough ball on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
• Place dough in covered buttered (melted) bowl and allow dough to rest for 30 minutes. A slightly warmed oven (90 degree) is great.
• Divide into two equal sized dough balls.
• If using a pizza stone, place stone in oven and preheat oven to 450 for at least ten minutes.
• Roll out into two pies and add your favorite sauce and topping combinations.

CLASSIC PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine water and yeast in a bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, sugar, and oil; stir until a ragged dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface; knead with floured hands until smooth, elastic, and tacky but no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl brushed with oil, turning dough to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 3 hours; or refrigerate until doubled in volume, at least 12 hours and up to 3 days (return to room temperature before using, 1 to 2 hours).

CLASSIC PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast, 1 cup of flour, and the salt. Mix.
• Next, add the water and oil.
• Beat on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
• By hand, stir in enough flour to make the dough stiff.
• Knead until smooth which can take up to 10 minutes.
• Place in a well greased bowl and turn the dough until it is lightly greased.
• Cover and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Punch it down and chill for 2 hours.
• Cut the dough in half.
• On a floured surface, roll the halves into 12 inch circle and about 1/8 inch thick.
• Brush the surfaces of the dough with olive oil and add the toppings of your choice. Cook at 425* for 25 minutes.

CLASSIC PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm water. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast over the water and let stand until bubbling, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the olive oil into the well, then stir with a wooden spoon to make a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 minute. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, tightly cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• One hour before baking, put a pizza stone or large inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree and 2 cups water. Stir in the oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. (The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.)
• Divide the pizza dough into 2 balls. On a lightly floured surface, stretch 1 ball of dough into a 12- to 14-inch round. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper, then slide the parchment with the dough onto a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce on the crust in a thin layer, then scatter 1 cup mozzarella on top. Slide the pizza (on the parchment) onto the hot stone. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes before slicing. Repeat to make the second pizza.

PIZZA CRUST I (WHEAT FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
• Pulse the mozzarella in a food processor until it becomes granular in size.
• In a large bowl, combine the mozzarella, almonds, garbanzo bean flour, flaxseeds, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, oil, and water and mix thoroughly.
• Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and lay a second sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Flatten with a rolling pin into a 14" round.
• Carefully remove the top layer of parchment paper. With a spoon or your hands, form a crust edge.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

CLASSIC ITALIAN PIZZA

Steps:

• To make the dough, mix the yeast with the warm water, sugar and oil and leave for 1-2 minutes. Add the flours into a mixing bowl with 1/2 tsp salt and briefly mix before making a well ready for the liquids. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir into the flour using a fork, until the mixture comes together and can be finished off by hand. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes on a floured surface, then place in a clean, lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has risen to double its size.
• Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce by blending all of the ingredients together.
• Preheat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan, gas mark 9). Place the dough back onto a floured surface and knead for another minute to knock the air out. Any dough not used immediately can be refrigerated for up to 2 days - allowing to stand for 2 hours before making the pizzas.
• Roll out the dough and place on a large baking tray. Spread the tomato base over the pizza before topping with the blue cheese and mozzarella, then the mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
• Cook in the hot oven for around 15 minutes or until the dough is crisp around the edges. Top with the parmesan and a good grating of pepper and serve.

CLASSIC CRISCO PIE CRUST

Steps:

• BLEND flour and salt in medium mixing bowl.
• CUT chilled shortening into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut in chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.
• SPRINKLE half the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together.
• Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not add any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.
• SHAPE dough into a ball for single pie crust. Divide dough in two for double crust or double deep dish crust, one ball slightly larger than the other. Flatten ball(s) into 1/2-inch thick round disk(s).
• For ease in rolling, wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• ROLL dough (larger ball of dough for double crust pie) from center outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax or parchment paper) into a circle 2-inches wider than pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer dough to pie plate by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Center the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate.
• For a SINGLE pie crust, trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edge under. Flute dough as desired. Bake according to specific recipe directions.
• For a DOUBLE pie crust, roll larger disk for bottom crust, trimming edges of dough even with outer edge of pie plate. Fill unbaked pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out smaller dough disk. Transfer dough carefully onto filled pie. Trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Press edges together to seal and flute as desired. Cut slits in top crust or prick with fork to vent steam. Bake according to specific recipe directions.
• Two Methods for Pre-baking Pie Crusts (Cream Pies):.
• Pre-baking without weights: Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of unbaked pie dough with fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Bake crust in lower third of oven, at 425°F, 10-12 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown.
• Pre-baking with weights: Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of unbaked pie dough with fork (50 times) to prevent it from blistering or rising. Chill or freeze for 30 minutes. Line pie dough snugly with foil or parchment paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Reduce oven to 350°F Bake 5-10 minutes or until edges and bottom are golden brown.