My New Favorite Pizza

Having kids means eating a lot of pizza. At least around here it does. It's one of those meals all of my kids will eat. This is my new favorite pizza crust. It uses an Artisanal technique which allows the dough to rest before it is thoroughly mixed and then allowing a long slow second rise which results in a puffy, crisp and chewy pizza dough. It also calls for all purpose and bread flour and something else interesting--you put on the toppings before the second rise. It's my new favorite crust. These pictures just don't do it justice. I'll blame it on my amateur camera skills. Use this if you want extra good sauce. I also used a combination of mozerella cheese and an italian blend cheese.

Pizza Dough

A Passion for Baking

*Makes 2 pizzas*

1 3/4 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

2 tsp. rapid- rise yeast

1/4 cup semolina flour or 2 tbsp. cornmeal (I used the cornmeal)

2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. honey or sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups all purpose flour

3 -4 cups bread flour (I used 3)

Olive oil, for drizzling

additional cornmeal for dusting pans, if desired

In a mixer bowl, hand-whisk water and yeast together and let stand 2-3 minutes to dissolve yeast. Briskly whisk in semolina, salt, sugar, oil, and all purpose flour. Stir in enough bread flour to make a shaggy mass that is barely combined, about 2 minutes. Then cover loosely with plastic and let stand 30 minutes. Stir down dough and then knead with dough hook on lowest speed 6-8 minutes, dusting with additional flour as necessary to make a soft dough. (I used 3 cups and did not have to add any additional flour).

Remove dough hook, spray dough with nonstick cooking spray, and cover entire mixer and bowl with a large clear plastic bag. (I just put mine in a big plastic bowl and put it inside a turkey cooking bag. It worked great!) Let dough rise 45-60 minutes.

To make pizzas, gently deflate dough and divide into 2 or 3 large rounds, as required. You can place rounds in cast-iron skillets or on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. (This is what I did. I also dusted the sheet with cornmeal) Stretch to fit pans, turning in edges to make a thick crust.

Once pizzas are formed, spray with nonstick cooking spray and then garnish as desired. Cover loosely with a large sheet of plastic wrap and let dough rise 90 minutes or until dough is very light and puffed up.

To bake, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Bake pizzas on upper rack until done and pizzas are browned all over 12-20 minutes. Makes 2-3 pizzas depending on size.

Posted by: Sallie