Ultimate Italian Style Thin Crust Pizza Food

BEST PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• In the bowl of your stand up mixer (or a large bowl if you knead by hand) add the warm water and sugar, sprinkle the yeast on top, let sit for 5-10 minutes, then stir to combine. Continue with Machine or Hand.

RUSTIC ITALIAN PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven as high as it will go for at least 45 minutes to one hour.
• In the bowl of your kitchen aid and using the paddle attachment mix the flour, sea salt and active dry yeast (
• Switch to the dough hook and mix together on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and sticky but should not stick to the sides of the bowl, only a little to the bottom.
• (If the dough sticks to the sides sprinkle in a little more flour, if it is too dry then add a bit more water).
• After the 8 minutes have passed remove the dough from the kitchen aid and cut it into 6 pieces and form them into rounds. Place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature and rise for 2 hours in a draft free area. ( I prefer the oven )
• Sprinkle the counter with a little bit of flour, take one piece of dough and press down on it with your fingers until you have 1/2" thick circle or oval. Using your fists and knuckles start stretching the dough until 10" in diameter making sure not to tear it ( this should be easy since it is a small pie).
• Dust your pizza peel (or a piece of cardboard) very well with semolina flour or corn meal and set your pizza dough on it making sure it slides easily when moved. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of the pizza sauce in the center and spread it around with the back of a spoon leaving 1 inch of space at the edges and making sure not to get any on the peel. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and add your favorite toppings. ( Don't add too many toppings, keep in mind this is a thin crust and a couple of toppings will suffice ).
• Gently slide the pie on the preheated pizza stone in a hot 525 degree or more oven, and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. When making the breakfast pizza I find that the egg cooks perfectly in 6 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the basil and freshly grated parmigiano reggianno. Allow to rest for a few minute for the cheese to set.

NEW YORK STYLE THIN CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. If you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
• Divide the dough in half and roll into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick.
• Dust pizza peel or baking sheet with cornmeal. Place rolled out dough on peel. Brush pizza dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges. Sprinkle 1/4 cup basil leaves on top of sauce and then top with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Finally, top with 1/2-pound mozzarella slices. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden brown. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 2 pizzas.
• In an electric mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, water and lard together to make a paste. Add the flour and salt and mix, using a dough hook, until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide dough in half. Roll the dough into balls, cover, and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped.

THIN-CRUST PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in hot water in a bowl. Let stand until yeast forms a creamy foam, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Mix 1 3/4 cup flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in yeast mixture; mix well until dough comes together.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding remaining 1/4 cup flour if dough is too sticky, about 2 minutes. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a greased pizza pan.

ROMAN-STYLE THIN-CRUST PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lower third lined with a pizza stone or baking sheet. Divide dough in half. On a piece of parchment dusted with semolina, roll one piece of dough into an approximately 9-by-15-inch oval. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer on parchment to a baking sheet or pizza peel. Spread half of alfredo sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lower third lined with a pizza stone or baking sheet. Divide dough in half. On a piece of parchment dusted with semolina, roll one piece of dough into an approximately 9-by-15-inch oval. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer on parchment to a baking sheet or pizza peel. Spread half of alfredo sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
• Ricotta-Peas-Prosciutto: Dollop half of ricotta, in small spoonfuls, evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top evenly with half of peas and lightly drizzle with oil. Slide pizza (still on parchment) onto stone. Bake until crust is golden brown in places and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a board; top with half of prosciutto or arugula, if using. Slice and serve. Repeat with remaining dough and toppings.
• Spinach-Parmigiano-Pepper Flakes: Top evenly with half of spinach, cheese, and pepper flakes; lightly drizzle with oil. Slide pizza (still on parchment) onto stone. Bake until crust is golden brown in places and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a board; top with half of prosciutto or arugula, if using. Slice and serve. Repeat with remaining dough and toppings.
• Potato-Red Onion-Arugula: Top evenly with half of potatoes, then half of onion and cheese. Slide pizza (still on parchment) onto stone. Bake until crust is golden brown in places and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a board; top with half of prosciutto or arugula, if using. Slice and serve. Repeat with remaining dough and toppings.

OLD WORLD CHICAGO-STYLE THIN CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the milk, water, yeast and sugar. Lightly whisk and let sit until bubbly and the yeast is bloomed, about 5 minutes. Add the oil.
• Mix the all-purpose flour and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Set the mixer to medium-low speed and slowly add the yeast mixture until entirely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl to get everything homogenous. Knead on medium low until the dough is glossy and forms a rough ball, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm part of the kitchen until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Split the dough into 2 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the balls of dough as THIN as possible with a rolling pin. To get an even "trimmed" circle, use a large round lid to trim a rim around the dough. Sprinkle some semolina flour on a pizza peel. Carefully transfer the round of dough to the peel. Dock the crust with a fork or docker, poking holes all over the surface to keep it thin and crispy.
• Working quickly, add half of the pizza sauce almost all of the way to the edge of the crust, leaving about a 1-inch border. For the pepperoni side, place an even layer of pepperoni directly on top of the sauce on half of the pizza. Combine the skim- and whole-milk mozzarella in a large bowl and top the entire pizza with half of the cheese. Top the pepperoni side with some more scattered rounds of pepperoni. For the sausage side, spread half of the giardiniera on top of the cheese, then dollop with hunks of the Italian sausage on top. Transfer to the pizza stone in the oven and bake until golden and bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board with the pizza peel. Make another pizza with the remaining ingredients.
• Let the pizza rest for 4 or 5 minutes, then cut into small squares--never triangles. This is called the party cut. Why? Because no matter what's going on, when you're eating Chicago thin crust, it's always a big ol' party.

PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• This is a fantastic, reliable, everyday pizza dough, which can also be used to make bread. It's best made with Italian Tipo "00" flour, which is finer ground than normal flour, and it will give your dough an incredible super-smooth texture. Look for it in Italian markets and good supermarkets. If using white bread flour instead, make sure it's a strong one that's high in gluten, as this will transform into a lovely, elastic dough, which is what you want. Mix in some semolina flour for a bit of color and flavor if you like.
• Sift the flours and salt onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a large measuring cup, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Keep mixing, drawing larger amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour-dusted hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough.
• Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and flour the top of it. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for about 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.
• Now remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out with your hands - this is called punching down the dough. You can either use it immediately, or keep it, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge (or freezer) until required. If using straightaway, divide the dough up into as many little balls as you want to make pizzas - this amount of dough is enough to make about six to eight medium pizzas.
• Timing-wise, it's a good idea to roll the pizzas out about 15 to 20 minutes before you want to cook them. Don't roll them out and leave them hanging around for a few hours, though - if you are working in advance like this it's better to leave your dough, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. However, if you want to get them rolled out so there's 1 less thing to do when your guests are round, simply roll the dough out into rough circles, about 1/4-inch thick, and place them on slightly larger pieces of olive-oil-rubbed and flour-dusted aluminum foil. You can then stack the pizzas, cover them with plastic wrap, and pop them into the refrigerator.
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FLAKY THIN CRUST CHICAGO INSPIRED PIZZA

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed, chilled butter and using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it is mostly incorporated, you want to have small butter lumps. Add the chopped garlic. In a large measuring cup, combine the warm water and instant yeast. Add to the flour mixture and, using a fork, combine until the mixture is evenly moistened. Knead the dough in your hands or on a lightly floured surface for one minute or so until the dough is smooth. Divide the dough in two, shape into balls, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• While the dough sits, you can start on the tomato sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the herbs, salt, and both black and red peppers, and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, wine and sugar, and bring it all to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, usually 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sauce cool before using.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (or as hot as your oven will get). Seriously, the hotter the oven, the better. If using a pizza stone, preheat it along with the oven.
• It's time to shape the dough. Take one piece of dough and shape into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. I use a rolling pin to make it completely even, but you can also just use your hands (use a light touch). With a fork, prick the entire surface of the dough and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and let it cool for 5 minutes. Top with tomato sauce, and add your favorite toppings. Going TOO thick on toppings may result in a soggy crust so be careful. Return to the oven and bake for another 8-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. Repeat with the second half of dough or store it in your fridge for later!

PIZZA DOUGH FOR THIN CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix a little sugar into the warm water.
• Sprinkle yeast on top.
• Wait for 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy.
• Pour into a large bowl.
• Add flour, salt, olive oil.
• Combine.
• Knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if you need to).
• Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Lightly grease two 12-inch pizza pans.
• Sprinkle with a little bit of cornmeal.
• Divide dough in half.
• Place each half on a pizza pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the whole pan.
• Try to make it thicker around the edge.
• If desired, pre-bake at 425 F for 10 minutes (I don't always do this).
• Then spread with pizza sauce and use the toppings of your choice.
• Bake at 425 F for 10-20 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot.
• Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.
• If you don't want to use all the dough, you can freeze it.
• Take a portion of dough, form into a ball, rub olive oil over it and place it in a freezer bag (the oil makes it easier to take out of the bag).
• When you want to make a pizza, take dough out of freezer and allow to thaw before using.

SUPER CRISPY THIN PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat pizza stone in oven at 500°F.
• Warm water for 20 seconds in microwave.
• Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes.
• In the meantime, combine flour, salt and Italian seasoning.
• Pour yeast over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.
• Add 1 tbsp flour if needed.
• Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.
• Dust more flour on surface if needed .
• Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a 12" circle of even thickness (about 1/4") flipping over to roll each side (don't press too hard when rolling or dough may stick to surface).
• Cut off any excess edges to make a neat circle.
• Palm down, slide your hands under dough and lifting carefully place on to a hot pizza stone.
• Bake at 500°F for 4 minutes.
• Remove from oven and top with your favorite toppings (don't go too crazy with the toppings, a little goes a long way).
• Return to oven for 6-8 minutes.
• Helpful hint: Top pizza in this order to prevent the crust from getting soggy:.
• chopped basil.
• minced garlic.
• pepperoni.
• cheese.
• (6-8) 2 tbs dollops of pizza sauce evenly spaced.

AMAZING THIN CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• DOUGH: In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the plastic dough blade, pulse the flour, yeast, and salt to combine; about five 1-second pulses. With the machine running, slowly add the oil, then the water through the feed tube; continue to process until the dough forms a ball, about 15 seconds. Generously dust the work surface with flour. Using floured hands, transfer the dough to the work surface and knead lightly, shaping the dough into a ball. Lightly oil a 1-quart measuring cup with cooking spray, place the dough in the measuring cup and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside in a draft free place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 - 1/2 hours.
• PIZZA SAUCE: Mix this up while the dough is rising, giving the flavors some time to meld.
• Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F. This may take as long as 30 minutes, so allow enough time for the oven to get hot. Remove all racks except the one holding your baking stone, for easier positioning of pizza onto the stone.
• BUILDING: When the dough has doubled, grease hands with olive oil and remove it from the measuring cup, placing into the middle of a lightly floured board. (A silpat placed on the work surface makes cleaning up easier.) Being careful not to deflate all the air in the dough, roll dough into a ball and set aside. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut parchment paper and set aside. Do NOT cut parchment larger than your pizza stone, to mimimize risk of the paper catching fire.
• Oiling hands again, gently stretch the dough, shaping it into a large rectangle on the parchment paper. With palms, stretch and flatten the dough until it takes the shape you want it to have, keeping a slightly thicker edge for the crust. Dock the surface of the dough with your fingers to "texture" the surface and hold the toppings. Oil the dough before building the pizza.
• Place finely cut (or dried) basil across the top of the dough. Add Mozzarella and Provolone cheese slices on top of the basil. Spread a thin, even layer of the pizza sauce, adding pork sausage, shredded Mozzarella and mild cheddar over the top of the dough. (You can really use any toppings you'd like.).
• BAKING: Position the baking stone on the bottom rack of your electric oven, or on the floor of your gas oven. Lift the parchment paper and slide onto the bottom of a sheet pan, then quickly slide pizza onto the baking stone. Shut the oven door, and reset your oven for 500 degrees. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the crust are browned. Check the bottom of the pizza for doneness before removing from the oven. Using tongs, transfer pie onto oven rack and set aside to cool a few minutes. Cut with a pizza cutter and enjoy!