pizza dough
I just read the email about the wonderful pizza dough. Does anyone have a recipe for a good pizza dough that does not take all that time to make. Would like to make pizza without using that horrid store bought crust, but I have no luck with dough making & all that stretching, oiling & waiting. I've tried, but it always comes out a tough, floury thick mess & I send it to the trash.
I am a soup, salad, seafood, pasta, cookie maker. Dough is my downfall. Anyone have an easy, foolproof recipe??
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18 Comments:
I haven't tried making my own pizza dough yet because I'm a wuss. But. I do buy raw dough from one of the better, locally/independently owned pizza shops in town. The quality is pretty nice, it's about $4, and all it requires is me dropping in to pick it up. Easypeasy.
joyyy at 11:27AM on 08/27/09
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html
ansate at 11:39AM on 08/27/09
I can have homemade pizza on the table in an hour and a half. For the dough, I base everything on the amount of water. 1 cup for 2 pizzas. To this I add 1/2 tsp yeast, 1 tbs. maple syrup, 1 tbs olive oil, scant tbs kosher salt and flour until good (sorry, the flour is by feel). The dough should be softer than you think, but not sticky. Let raise an hour. Couldn't be easier.
derosa at 11:54AM on 08/27/09
I use a Kitchenaid stand mixer with a spiral hook. It makes making pizza dough (and other doughs) incredibly easy. Before the mixer, I rarely made pizza dough as kneading it took so long and made a mess of my kitchen island. Now, I am a bread-making machine.
1 cup warm water
1 T honey
1 packet dry yeast
Mix together in bottom of mixer bowl and let start to bubble. Then add
1/3 c olive oil
2 2/3 c flour
3 T wheat gluten
1/3 c corn meal
1 t salt
I mix the flour, gluten and corn meal together before adding to the mixer. My flour, oil and corn meal measurements are also approximate.
Knead for 2 minutes. Let rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Place into an oiled bowl, turning the dough so it's coated with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.
I use it for one Chicago-style pizza, or two thin crust pizzas. I'll also use it for Stromboli.
MarvinDog at 11:56AM on 08/27/09
In a large bowl, stir together:
1 package (1 Tbsp) dry yeast
1 cup comfortably warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornmeal, dry polenta, wheat germ (optional)
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour
betteirene at 11:57AM on 08/27/09
Aaargh! Hit the tab key instead of the shift key. . .here's the rest of the recipe:
Knead the dough in the bowl until it's no longer sticky, about 5 minutes--it should form a soft but firm ball that cleans the side of the bowl. Cover and let rest until doubled in size, about an hour.
betteirene at 12:03PM on 08/27/09
Follow the directions MarvinDog gave for using the KitchenAid mixer, if you don't have a bread machine. This recipe works both ways.
If using a bread machine, prepare the dough about 3 hours before you plan to eat.
Combine in a bread pan, according to your bread machine's instructions:
1 cup flat beer (or water) (Pam's note, use the beer!)
2 TBS butter or margarine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (2.25 t.) active dry yeast
Set the machine on the dough cycle, and let it do the work!
When the dough is ready, remove it from the bread machine with floured hands.
Lightly dust a pizza stone with cornmeal
Roll the dough out onto the stone (this makes enough for a large, thick crust pizza, or use about 2/3 of the dough for a smaller 13" pizza. The leftovers make great bread sticks!)
Lightly brush the dough with olive oil
Cover the dough with a dishcloth.
Let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm place, then proceed with topping and baking.
Gator Pam at 12:42PM on 08/27/09
There are no shortcuts. Quit looking.
Using dry or bakers yeast will never give you a pizza that is better than just ok. Real pizza is made with a natural yeast sourdough starter. It takes time and forethought.
Go to the Slice website and start reading. Foolishpoolish is a good role model. So is the Jeff Varasano website. It will take practice and experimentation to figure things out. Pizza is not easy nor can it just be given to a neophyte. You want good pizza, you have to work for it.
Currently I am using Nancy Silverton's grape started sourdough as my natural yeast. Dough is hand mixed and aged a minimum of 3 days in the fridge. I am struggling with consistency without a temp gun. When I borrowed my friends the pies turned out amazing.
An ok pie
climbhighak at 7:03PM on 08/27/09
Holy cow, climbhighak - that's one gorgeous crust on that pizza.
That's made in a home oven...?
moibec at 7:08PM on 08/27/09
i use 101cookbooks recipe as well.
BananaMonkey at 7:45PM on 08/27/09
Here's an ok stromboli from the dough above.
MarvinDog at 8:07PM on 08/27/09
I'm sorry @climbhiak but that attitude is just wrong and is what keeps many people out of the kitchen. The idea that it is too hard or too time consuming to eat good food made at home is far too prevalent and is neither true or good for us.
Excellent pizza can be made in a couple of hours using ingredients available to anyone at a moderately good grocery store. A light hand with great ingredients -- good olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh veggies, and yes, dried yeast -- can be made by just about anyone who is interested enough to try. Will it be like the best wood-fired pizza from Naples? No. But it will still be damn good -- certainly better than "just ok."
Peter Reinhart has a great recipe for pizza dough and so does Cook's Illustrated, just to name two. You can find them on the internet.
kjgibson at 9:50PM on 08/27/09
@molbec
That was done on a gas grill on a pizza stone and then finished under a broiler for one minute.
climbhighak at 9:52PM on 08/27/09
@kjgibson I never said it couldn't be done at home. I am doing it at home.
I guess the accuracy of your statement rests on your definition of "Excellent". I for one am not interested in "30 minute meals" or "Semi Homemade" bullshit.
Keep fooling yourself that you can dupe a great restaurant's take on black cod without marinating it for 3 days. Natural yeast will always taste better than dry. Slow cooked pork ALWAYS tastes better than whatever you can "whip up in an hour". Those my friend are facts.
Shortcuts will never get you the same results as patience, good technique, and first class ingredients.
climbhighak at 1:06AM on 08/28/09
@climbhighak
While I greatly admire your disdain for Semi-Homemade-style shortcuts, I greatly disagree with what seems to be a claim that the only "Excellent" or "Real" pizza is 100 year old Neapolitan-style pizza. Especially as a Chicagoan, as I've often heard our preferred pizza style described as wierd, or worse, not real pizza.
While your quest for the perfect pizza seems nobel, your criticisms of those who do not share your (Quixotic to my eyes) crusade seem a might snobbish. I suppose the best way to say it is that slow-cooked pork does not taste better when the subject is sausage.
As for wild vs. dry yeast, the immigrant-owned Italian Bakery at which I worked one summer in high school used dry yeast. That didn't make their bread not delicious. And the immirant-owned Italian restaurant where my wife worked as a wine-buyer after college used dry yeast. That didn't make their food not wonderful.
MarvinDog at 11:09AM on 08/28/09
I've had great luck with the dough recipe on 101 Cookbooks--I think it's Peter Reinhart's recipe. We just did pizza on the grill for our book club (since we didn't want to heat the apt with the oven) and it was a resounding success! I do think you need the bread flour vs. AP flour; this makes a huge difference.
littlestcapy at 11:50AM on 08/28/09
So you want quick and easy pizza dough that has the taste of a good pizza joint?! Go to a pizza joint where you find the crust to be good and ask to buy some dough. I have found most places will sell the dough (esp. if you are a regular) by itself and you can take it home to make your own "GOOD" pie. Be it 100 year old Neapolitan or Chicago deep dish (which IMHO is definitely real pizza!).
As far as a superlative pizza, it takes far more time and effort to make. But, as with anything in the culinary world, and in the words of the superlative Mr. Alton Brown, "your patience, will be rewarded".
Pavlov at 8:47AM on 08/29/09
1 pkg active yeast
3 cups water (115 degrees)
1 Tbl Salt
1/2 cup olive oil (does not have to be extra virgin)
Bread Flour
Add water and yeast. Allow to sit and bloom for 3 minutes. Add 4 cups of bread flour. Begin mixing. When it begins to blend together well add salt and oil. Continue adding flour in 1/2 cup increments until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom. If dough seems to pull away and then re-sticks add small amounts of flour until it stops. Allow dough to kneed for 10 minutes. Split dough in half. Wrap half in wax paper and place in a freezer bag. Place the half in the freezer and save for later. With the other half form into a ball and place in a clean bowl. Place a towel over the bowl and allow to double in size. Punch it down and turn out onto a floured surface. Make sure both sides are floured well and place on a sheet pan. Stretch into the desired shape. Add toppings. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.
Or you can buy good dough pre-made from Trader Joe's for less than $1.50. Comes in regular, whole wheat and herbed.
srfchf at 8:25PM on 08/30/09