Pizza with Quick Homemade Dough

Pizza with Quick Homemade Dough

I was post a 24 hour shift, and Adam and Kelsey were coming over for dinner. Exhausted, I called over to LuLus, the around-the-corner pizza place. I discovered it was closed for Easter. I filtered my Paprika app, remembering there was a quick and excellent pizza dough recipe from King Arthur. I have simplified the instructions here. Videos for assessing dough readiness and shaping the dough are accessible via a link.

The rest of the ingredients I had in the pantry or refrigerator. I have been keeping my basil plant alive in my south facing window. Chiffonade a few leaves and add as a final touch.

In Adam’s former life, he made hundreds of pizzas. He taught me how to properly shape pizza dough. The pizza was good, if not better than Lulus. Oven to plate in less than a minute.

Pair with a generous salad, and of course, a rustic red wine.

THE DOUGH (for 2 pizzas)

2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast

7/8 to 1 cup (198g to 227g) water, lukewarm (very hot water will kill yeast)

2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil

3 cups (360g) King Arthur ‘00’ Pizza Flour (order on-line)

1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt

TOPPINGS

Store bought pizza sauce, prefer Trader’s

8 ounces pre-shredded thick cut Mozzarella , prefer Tillamook

Fresh basil, for topping (optional)

King Arthur’s Pizza Seasoning Mix (optional)

EQUIPMENT:

Kitchen Aide Mixer with Paddle and Dough Hooks

Baking stone

Weigh all your ingredients directly into the mixing bowl. First use the paddle to mix ingredients, then switch to the dough hook. Mix dough on low speed until soft and smooth. Do the window pane test to see if you have adequate gluten development.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise for around one hour in a warm spot.

Put the baking stone on the second lowest shelf of the oven. In the shelf below, put a shallow pan (you will put boiling water in the pan prior to baking to create steam). Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball, and cover with a dish towel. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour while your oven preheats.

Transfer one ball of dough to a well-floured surface. Shape dough into a 12 inch circle.

Top the crust with sauce and cheese as desired, and bake directly on the stone for 10 to 12 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.

Remove the pizza from the oven and add any last-minute toppings before cutting and serving.

Repeat if you are still hungry. The three of us finished off two pizzas.