Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The Best Pizza Dough Ever.... well so far!!





As I was doing my
daily surfing, I came across a recipe for pizza dough on 101 cookbooks (http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html). At first glance it looked challenging, but really its not at all!!!
The first time around the pizza looked amazing, but tasted so-so. The flour tasted like... flour, which is not what you want your pizza crust to taste like. But I dont ever follow directions to a tee, so the second time I added my 'zest' and it tasted as good as it looked!!! Please take a try!! Let me know how it comes out!



Peter Reinhart's Napoletana Pizza Dough Recipe (Improvised by Karma)

Heidi notes: Peter's recipe says the olive (or vegetable oil) is optional. I use it every time - always olive oil, not vegetable oil. I love the moisture and suppleness it adds to the dough, and it makes your hands soft too. - Karma' notes: I concur!

4 1/2 cups (20.25 ounces) unbleached high-gluten, bread, or all-purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 (.44 ounce) teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) water, ice cold (40°F)
Semolina flour OR cornmeal for dusting

2 cloves of garlic (Karma's Zest!)

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer).

2. Peel and chop garlic cloves into tiny tiny tiny pieces. (Racheal Ray tip: turn chopping knife flat and pound garlic. Then drag between cutting board and knife.) Put chopped garlic in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Let them marinate for a bit.

3. Add a bit of water and a half of the olive oil w garlic. With your hands knead into dough, picking up flour on the sides of the bowl along the way. Continue to gradually add the ingredients until it is all used up. Knead dough until surface is smooth and doesnt tear when you fold it.

4. Dash a little flour on counter top and continue to knead until dough is smooth, but still elastic. Not sticky, but not completely solid. Roll into a ball and put in a plastic bag over night.

5. Your dough is done when it has sat over night so that the yeast can do its thing!! 2 hours before you want to make pizza, take out the dough and let it sit on the counter and come to room temperature.

6. Pre-heat oven to 400 or 450 F. Separate dough into 3 parts and roll out one part flat for a pizza. (If you dont have a roller, a bottle or a can will do just fine. You just need to apply a little more pressure. No one said this would be ENTIRELY easy!!) After dough is rolled flat (about the size of your pizza tray), place on pizza tray and decorate as you desire!

7. Watch pizza in oven, when cheese or top ingredients are about cooked, remove pizza. Slice, eat and ENJOY!!

**This is my revised version, but please feel free to visit 101 cookbooks to see how the professionals do it!! {http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html}

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