Pizza Resurrected

I feel like I need to re-do a post on pizza.  My pizza making has evolved over the last few years with the purchase of my first baking steel.  Oh.My.Goodness. is all I'll say!!   Worth every penny!!  I now have 2 baking steels...one stays in my oven and the other is a steel griddle that stays on my stove top.

HERE is the pizza dough I've been using.  Since it's a '72 hour' dough (which takes no time at all to throw together)...remember to make the dough a few days ahead of when you'll need it.  OR...just keep dough in your fridge at.all.times! Just remember to take it out an hour or so before you want to make your pizza.  I preheat my oven/baking steel to 550 for at least 30-40 minutes.

This is what you'll need

YES, I weigh everything.  For any type of bread baking, my digital scale is my best friend.

 Throw all the dry ingredients in a big bowl; whisk together

Add water. Mix it all together...I use a plastic bowl scraper

Cover with plastic wrap and leave in on the counter for 24 hours

For some reason, I didn't take photos of dividing the dough after the 24 hour resting.  
Those steps are in the recipe below.

This is what it looks like after only 7 minutes in a 550 F (convection) oven on a baking steel.

Mine's on the top...pepperoni, mushrooms & onions

Hubs in on the bottom...same as mine except he adds (gag) green olives

So here you go:

72 Hour Pizza Dough

3-3/4 c. (500 grams) flour (I usually use bread flour but was out...all-purpose is fine)

2 tsp. (16 grams) salt

1/4 tsp. (1 gram) yeast

1-1/2 c. (350 grams) water

Whisk together dry ingredients; add water.

Mix together until it comes together and forms a ball (it will appear dry).

Cover with plastic; leave on counter for 24 hours.

Next day:

Sprinkle flour on your work surface and gently bring the dough together...at this point it will appear wet.  

Divide dough into 4.  

Gently work the dough, adding flour as  needed so it doesn't stick to your hands, until it turns into a smooth little ball (here's where you might want to watch the video from the link listed above).  

Place in plastic containers that have been sprayed with cooking spray (or drizzled with a bit of olive oil).  I use 16 oz. round deli containers I purchase at my local Gordon Food Service.

Put in fridge for 2 days.

When it's Pizza Day, take dough out of the fridge at least an hour before you need it.  I find, for hubs and me, one dough ball per person makes a great personal pizza (when we're hungry)

Preheat oven to 550 F convection bake (if you have it)...for at least 30-40 minutes...with the pizza steel inside preheating, too. 

Pat your dough into whatever shape you want.  If you use round containers, it's easy to make a round pizza!!  I tend to make rectangular so both pizzas will fit, side-by-side, on the parchment and on the baking steel at the same time.  After I get the size I want, I put it on parchment paper...and bake it on the paper, too.   Don't get me wrong, you can use a pizza paddle and 'launch' your pizza on to your steel.  I use parchment because I'm basically lazy and it makes cleanup a breeze.

I'm not even going to tell you about sauce, toppings or cheese...everybody likes their own personal preferences.  But...don't overload it, this is a case where less-is-more.  I will say I put over 1/2 of the cheese on first right after the sauce.  If I'm using pepperoni, I put that on last after the last sprinkling of cheese.  But...that's hub's and my preference.

In my oven:

550F + 7 minutes = a perfect pizza

ENJOY!!