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snowy · 04-10-2011, 07:55 AM

Pizza dough is a pretty basic straight dough method, with one bulk ferment and no proof. You can either make it yourself or buy dough at the grocery store (look in the cheese case or with the refrigerated biscuits, or you can use the Rhodes frozen bread dough).

To make it yourself:
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups warm (105-115 degrees) water

Put the yeast in the warm water and stir. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes. It should dissolve into the water with another stir after it sits.

Assuming you don't have a stand mixer, mix the water with:
3 1/2-3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon honey

When the mixture is thoroughly moistened and shaggy, let it sit for fifteen minutes, covered with a towel. After fifteen minutes, turn it out on to a flour surface, bring it together, and knead the dough for 10 minutes or so, until a bit of dough stretched out passes the windowpane test (if you don't know what that is, look it up).

Once the dough is well-kneaded and smooth, put it in a well-oiled bowl, cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap, and then throw a towel over the whole thing. Let it rise in a warm place until it's doubled in volume. I'm not going to tell you how long it takes, because you really should wait until it's doubled in volume. This is why I use a Pyrex 8-cup measure as my bulk ferment container. If you want it to take a little longer and develop more flavor, throw it in the fridge.

Once it's doubled in volume, it's ready to be shaped into pizzas. This recipe makes 2 12-inch pizzas. It takes practice to shape a pizza, so don't worry if your first efforts aren't what you want them to be. Since I don't have a peel, I set my pizzas on a cookie sheet on top of parchment paper, so I can slide them into the oven. My roommate has a baking stone she lets me use. I heat my oven up to the max the stone will take (450 degrees) an hour before I will be baking the pizza. The stone goes on the top rack in the oven. This, for some reason, allows for the top and bottom to cook most evenly. Your oven may be different, and so I won't tell you how long to bake your pizza for. It might take less time than mine, it might take more.

Good luck.

04-10-2011, 07:55 AM	#2 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Pizza dough is a pretty basic straight dough method, with one bulk ferment and no proof. You can either make it yourself or buy dough at the grocery store (look in the cheese case or with the refrigerated biscuits, or you can use the Rhodes frozen bread dough). To make it yourself: 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast 1 1/3 cups warm (105-115 degrees) water Put the yeast in the warm water and stir. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes. It should dissolve into the water with another stir after it sits. Assuming you don't have a stand mixer, mix the water with: 3 1/2-3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon honey When the mixture is thoroughly moistened and shaggy, let it sit for fifteen minutes, covered with a towel. After fifteen minutes, turn it out on to a flour surface, bring it together, and knead the dough for 10 minutes or so, until a bit of dough stretched out passes the windowpane test (if you don't know what that is, look it up). Once the dough is well-kneaded and smooth, put it in a well-oiled bowl, cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap, and then throw a towel over the whole thing. Let it rise in a warm place until it's doubled in volume. I'm not going to tell you how long it takes, because you really should wait until it's doubled in volume. This is why I use a Pyrex 8-cup measure as my bulk ferment container. If you want it to take a little longer and develop more flavor, throw it in the fridge. Once it's doubled in volume, it's ready to be shaped into pizzas. This recipe makes 2 12-inch pizzas. It takes practice to shape a pizza, so don't worry if your first efforts aren't what you want them to be. Since I don't have a peel, I set my pizzas on a cookie sheet on top of parchment paper, so I can slide them into the oven. My roommate has a baking stone she lets me use. I heat my oven up to the max the stone will take (450 degrees) an hour before I will be baking the pizza. The stone goes on the top rack in the oven. This, for some reason, allows for the top and bottom to cook most evenly. Your oven may be different, and so I won't tell you how long to bake your pizza for. It might take less time than mine, it might take more. Good luck. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau