basic doughs — pizza dough

there are dozens upon dozens of pizza dough recipes which can be found in cook books and on the internet. all amount to pretty much the same thing.

the one which i use as a standard can be thrown together and completed in a matter of 10 minutes. the most you'll have to wait is the proving time. it can be made by hand, as i do, or in a food processor or mixer also.

the dough can be successfully frozen for those days when you want to use it but don't have the time or energy to make a fresh batch. taken out in the morning and left in the fridge to thaw, it will be ready to use by noon or after work. the dough is frozen in disks about a 1/2 inch thick which cuts down on thawing time and also provides a pre-shaped dough which is easily enlarged.

if you like, you can embellish the dough when mixing the dry ingredients with fresh or dried herbs or spices like cracked black pepper.


basic all purpose pizza dough

makes enough for 2 pizza rounds

ingredients:

3 c all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast (quick rise)*

1 cup warm water (+ 4 tbsp extra if needed)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

*you can use regular yeast, just prove it in the warm water and proceed as called for in the recipe.

method:

place the salt, flour and instant yeast in a medium sized bowl.

mix all together.

blend the warm water and olive oil together.

add the wet ingredients to the dry.

stir all together until you get a shaggy mess. it should be slightly sticky. use the extra water in tbsp amounts, one at a time, if needed.

form a ball out of the dough.

knead for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is soft and well worked.

either place in a greased bowl or in an oiled ziploc bag.

let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.

if you like, separate the ball into two pieces and make discs out of them.

flour them, wrap them well in waxed paper and then in plastic wrap tightly. place them in ziplocs to protect them from freezer burn. thaw in the fridge or on the counter when needed.