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!!

Basic Pizza Crust...with Mushrooms/Onions

I was home alone last night.
I felt like pizza.
I made pizza.
It was quite delicious.

Mushroom & Onion Pizza

Put the flour in a food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Pulse/process until it all comes together. You actually don't need a food processor, this is just how I almost always make it.  I've even forgotten to switch to the dough blade...and it works fine.  You can always use a stand mixer or even do it by hand.

 Cast of Characters

 This is pretty much how you want the dough to look after processing.  You do NOT want a dry mixture.

Put some olive oil in a bowl, oil your hands, and form dough into a ball.  Dough should be quite soft.  Place dough in bowl, turning over so all is covered with a light coating of the olive oil.  Cover with plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in size. 

While dough is rising, get the desired toppings cut up and ready.  

Remove dough from bowl and place on a piece of parchment paper (you don't need the paper, but it sure saves on cleanup...and from sticking to a pan).  Drizzle with olive oil.

I put this seasoned salt on before the toppings...just forgot to take a photo at the correct time!!

I was eating this myself & I didn't want sauce on it...so I didn't put any on!  

I started with the mozzarella cheese and then the mushrooms and onions.  That's what's nice about making pizza at home, you get what  you want!  If the hubs would have been here, he would have put sliced green olives (gag...) on his half.

I did top the dough with some of this awesome seasoned salt I found at Costco.  (I also felt like sprinkling more over the top right before it went in the oven)

 Drizzle with just a little bit more olive oil. Just makes it taste sooo good.

 Preheat oven and pizza stone (if using) to 500 degrees F.

Here's its ready for the oven!

Bake 10-12 min. or until cheese is melted and crust is nicely browned.

FORCE yourself to let it cool before cutting.  ENJOY!!

Basic Pizza Dough

Makes one 14" pizza

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. flour (I used a combination of all-purpose and bread flour)

2 pkg. Quick Rise yeast OR 2 Tbsp. instant yeast*

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. olive oil

7/8 c. warm water

Sauce of choice (if using)

Desired toppings

*This might sound like a LOT of yeast, but trust me here.  It will rise very quickly...and nicely...and form a very soft dough.  You can easily use less dough with great result.  However, this is sooo good and you can be eating pizza in about 45 minutes after you realize you have a pizza craving!

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients except warm water in bowl of food processor.  Pulse several times.

Slowly add the warm water through the feed tube, processing until dough forms a loose ball.  If you feel it's too wet, add flour 1 Tbsp. at a time.  (weather can be a big factor if you need more flour)

Place dough in a well oiled bowl, turning dough to get oil on all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap that's been sprayed with cooking spray.  Let rise until double in bulk.

Preheat oven and pizza stone (if using) to 500 degrees F.

Shred cheese, slice mushrooms & onion...get any other desired toppings ready while dough is rising.

Gently punch down dough; place in the center of a piece of parchment paper.  Using oiled fingers/hands, press/pat the dough into desired shape.  Drizzle with olive oil, making sure to get the very edges covered.

If using sauce, spread a thin layer on top of dough.  Sprinkle on a nice layer of mozzarella cheese; top with remaining toppings of choice (here it's mushrooms and onions).

Drizzle with olive oil.  Carefully pick up the parchment paper and place on preheated stone.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is nicely browned.

TIPS:

I've got a dough-rise mode on my oven so that's how I usually do the rise, but you can turn your oven on to the lowest setting for no more than a minute.  This will warm up the oven enough to let the dough rise rather rapidly.

If you don't have a pizza stone, use whatever pizza pan you want.  Just make sure to oil if very well so the pizza doesn't stick!!  OR...put parchment paper on your pizza pan.