Perfect pizza dough from scratch in only 35 minutes? Heck, this recipe comes together faster than you can run to the corner store and grab a bag o’ dough. This recipe originated in my mother’s kitchen on Bainbridge Island, WA. My parents built a pizza oven on their patio a couple years ago and since then, we have been on a quest to create a *fast*, fail proof, thin crust dough. You are now about to benefit from countless experiments as Brave Apron shares with you the “crown jewel” of easy breezy pizza dough:) If you do not have a pizza oven, a pizza stone for your conventional oven is a valuable investment. AJ and I use ours all the time and it is great for reheating left over slices as well…huge fan!
Basic Pizza Dough (makes 4 – 5, 10” pizzas)
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur’s)
1 Tbs rapid-rise dry active yeast
1 tsp salt (table salt is fine or a fine salt dissolves faster)
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup hot water, (imagine the temperature of hot tea)
1/2 cup good olive oil
PREPARATION
Gently blend all dry ingredients together in mixing bowl of Kitchen Aide using the dough hook attachment.
In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, combine 1 1/4 cup hot water with 1/2 cup olive oil.
With mixer on low, slowly pour water/oil mixture down the side of mixing bowl.
Blend until dough comes away from sides of bowl and begins to form a ball. Add oil, not water, if more liquid is needed. I like to let the hook help me knead for approx. 5 minutes.
Take ball of dough and knead a few times by hand on counter surface and then re-shape into a ball.
Put some oil in the mixing bowl and put the ball of dough in the bowl. Turn the dough a few times and flip it over so that the whole thing is completely covered with oil.
Cover the bowl with cotton towel and let rise in a warm location for approx. 30 minutes while preparing your toppings .
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
Drizzle olive oil down on clean, smooth counter surface and roll the dough out as thin as possible (think 1/8″ish)
Pre bake for about 5 minutes, flipping once and puncturing air pockets that get out of control- unless you want pocket bread…
Add toppings (remember: less is better than more for a thin crispy crust)
Final bake off should take less then 5 minutes
This recipe can also be successfully divided in half!
Tip: AJ and I love toppings! However, when we pick our pizza toppings, we think of each pizza as having a “Star” ingredient or theme. This helps to eliminate the urge to make the “everything” pizza where, yes, all of our favorite ingredients are there, however, nothing is really singled out and given a place in the spotlight. By “editing” your ingredients, flavors will be more rich and targeted, your crust wont be soggy and you may be surprised how the most simple combinations can be absolutely delicious!
Last night we had:
Pizza #1: Buffalo Mozzarella with Basil Pesto
Pizza #2: Coppa with Mascarpone Polenta and Shaved Truffle
Pizza #3: Alsatian (Creme Fraiche, Caramelized Onions, Prosciutto and Gruyere)
Flash-baked dough, topped, and ready for the final blast in the 500 degree oven:
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