Monday, August 1, 2011

The Secret to Amazing Pizza Dough

Who doesn't love a great thin crust pizza? I know I do.
As many of you know, I'm currently living in Spain and consequently, missing some good ole Americana.
Thus, as a way to celebrate my new apartment with a proper oven, I decided to make a homemade pizza and play beer pong... I know, almost sounds like I'm reminiscent for college and not America.
As we all know, the most important part of a pizza is the dough and I can proudly say, I've finally discovered the secret to making the perfect dough.
And the secret is...are you ready for it...wait for it....
overnight fermentation.

YOU MUST LET THE DOUGH REST OVERNIGHT!

Trust me, this dough is like a hot girl who's worth the wait.
Obviously this recipe isn't meant for last minute meals, however, the recipe makes 6 batches and you can easily freeze the leftovers. I stole the recipe from this site, should you need further clarification on the dough.

Here's the recipe:
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, nearly ice cold (40°F)
semolina flour OR cornmeal for dusting


Mix the dry.
Add the oil and slowly stir the water. Incorporate it into the dough and work for 3-5 minutes, but do not OVERWORK the dough. Finished it should be elastic-y and sticky.
Then in a lightly oiled container cover with plastic and store overnight in the fridge.
Take the pizza out 20 minutes before using it, let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Grease the pan and sprinkle some semolina or cornflour on it.
Then with extra flour roll the dough with your hands. The less you work the dough the better.

My Favorite Toppings:
fresh buffalo mozz
black kalamata olives
proscutto
arugala
fresh basil

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