The Only Pizza Crust Dough Youll Ever Need Food

THE LAST PIZZA DOUGH I'LL EVER NEED

Steps:

• For the dough: Place each ingredient into the bowl of a stand mixer in the order listed. Install the dough hook attachment and mix on low until the dough comes together, forming a ball and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes.
• Lightly flour the countertops, then round the dough into a smooth ball by folding the edges of the round in toward the center several times and rolling between your hands on the counter. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• "Punch down" the dough by turning it out onto a clean countertop and shaping it into a rough rectangle, using your knuckles to work out as many of the large gas bubbles as possible. Then tightly roll the dough into a log 12 to 15 inches long. Cut this into thirds. Shape each third into a disk, then shape the disks into smooth balls. You may want to moisten the counter with water to up the surface tension a bit so that the ball tightens up instead of sliding across the counter.
• Cover each ball with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• At this point, you can also transfer the dough to airtight plastic containers and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Just make sure you bring the balls to room temperature 30 minutes before use.
• Pizza time: Set a pizza stone on the lower rack of the oven (or the floor, if using a gas oven) and crank the heat as high as it will go, hopefully 550 degrees F. Give the oven and the stone a good 30 minutes to heat up.
• For the toppings: Press a ball of dough into a 12-inch round. (Save the remaining dough balls for another use.) Smear with the jelly, then top with the fontina and bacon. Transfer to the pizza stone and bake until golden brown and melty, about 10 minutes.

THE ONLY PIZZA YOU'LL EVER WANT AGAIN: CHICKEN, SUN DRIED TOMATO, BROCCOLI, RICOTTA, MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
• On a 12-inch nonstick pizza pan, stretch out your dough and form the pizza crust. Drizzle 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil on crust and spread it with a pastry brush over the dough to the edges. Sprinkle crust with 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• In a small covered saucepan, bring 2 inches water to a boil. Separate broccoli tops into florets, discarding lower stalks or reserving for soup. Salt water and add broccoli florets. Cook covered 3 to 5 minutes. Drain broccoli and set on cutting board. Chop broccoli florets into small pieces.
• Heat a small nonstick pan over medium high to high heat. Add oil, cracked garlic and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken breast cut for stir-fry or tenders until lightly golden all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Chop sauteed chicken and garlic on a cutting board into small pieces.
• To assemble pizza, dot crust with chopped broccoli bits and cooked chopped chicken. Dot crust with spoonfuls of ricotta and spread ricotta gently with the back of your spoon. Add sliced sun-dried tomatoes, scattering them around the pizza to the edges. Complete the assembly with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella, about 1 cup. Place pizza in oven on middle rack and lower heat to 450 degrees F. Bake 12 minutes, until cheese is deep golden in color and crust is brown and crisp at the edges. Remove pizza from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Top with lots of torn or shredded basil. Cut pizza into 8 slices using pizza wheel and serve.

DOMINICK'S BASIC PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Place the warm water, salt, sugar. yeast and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.
• Add flour and begin kneading immediately, using a mixing machine or by hand (I use my Kitchenaid with the dough hook).
• Dough has proper moisture content when it is sticky to the touch but does not stick to your hand--add extra water or flour to achieve this.
• After kneading about 15 minutes by hand or a few minutes in the mixer, form the dough into a ball and let it rise, covered or in a large plastic freezer bag about two hours at room temperature.
• Gently deflate and refrigerate up to 24 hours before freezing or baking (the longer you chill the dough, the chewier the crust--I like it chilled only briefly).
• Your dough is now ready to be used in your favorite way.
• I roll mine out very thin and bake at the highest temperature the oven will allow.

EASIEST EVER PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Throw all ingredients into a bowl and mix together with a food processor (using dough hooks) or by hand.
• The dough will be fairly sticky but don't add any more flour.
• Instead scrape it into an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. I like to let my dough rise in an ever-so-slightly warmed oven or in an airing cupboard.
• When dough is finished rising, pre-heat oven to 400 F degrees.
• Turn onto a floured surface and work in a bit more flour until the dough loses its stickiness -- you shouldn't need too much -- then roll out to desired size, keeping the dough about 1/2 inch thick.
• Leave to rise for about 10 minutes, before topping with your favourite ingredients.
• Put on a baking sheet sprinkled with flour or cornmeal and bake for 10-15 minutes in a very hot oven until lightly browned. Our standard is 230-240 C in a fan oven for 10 minutes on a top shelf.

THE ART OF MAKING THE PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Make the dough and let it rise:.
• Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until surface appears creamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture does not appear creamy, discard and start over with new yeast.).
• Stir together 1 1/4 cups flour and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, oil and remaining 1/2 cup warm water and stir until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour (about 1/2 cup) so dough comes away from sides of bowl. (The dough will be wetter than pizza dough you may have made.).
• Knead dough on dry surface with lightly floured hands (reflour hands when dough becomes too sticky) until smooth, soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form into 1 ball if baking pizza or 2 balls if grilling, put on a lightly floured surface, and generously dust with flour.
• Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 hours.
• To shape the dough for baking:.
• DO NOT PUNCH DOWN DOUGH. Carefully dredge dough in a bowl of flour to coat and transfer to dry work surface. Holding one edge of dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch work surface, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 10 inches.
• Lay dough flat on lightly floured work surface and continue to work edges with fingers, stretching it into a 14-inch round.
• To shape dough for grilling:.
• DO NOT PUNCH DOWN DOUGH. Carefully dredge 1 ball of dough in a bowl of flour to coat and transfer to dry work surface. Holding one edge of dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch work surface, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 7 inches. Lay dough flat on lightly floured work surface and continue to work edges with fingers, stretching it into a 9-inch round. Transfer to a floured tray. Repeat procedure with remaining ball of dough. Lightly dust a piece of plastic wrap with flour and invert loosely over pizza rounds. Allow dough to stand for 10 to 20 minutes before grilling.(dough will be slightly puffy).
• Note: The dough can be allowed to rise, covered and refrigerated in a covered bowl for up to one day. Bring to room temperature before shaping. REMEMBER (repeat after me :=) DO NOT PUNCH DOWN!
• Assemble and bake the pizza according to your favorite recipe.
• It can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw and bring to room temperature, but remember, Do Not Punch Down!