Pizza Dough

As far as I am concerned there is no really good excuse for using store bought pizza dough, except in an emergency like you are extremely hungry and the hour or so wait for your own dough to rise is just too long to consider.

Pizza dough is fast and easy to make and once you know how you can always have ingredients on hand to make a great dinner for one, two or ten without much fuss.

For all intents and purposes pizza dough has 3 mandatory ingredients; flour, water and yeast. Optionally, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and a tablespoon of oil. That's it! All the ingredients keep for long periods of time so you can always have them on hand when you spirit moves you for a pizza or focaccia or a stuffed roll or calzone or a stromboli or you get the idea, they're all made from the same exact dough.

A few words about flour are in order before we begin. Flour is classified by how refined it is, unlike your author who is completely unrefined and for this discussion is either white or whole wheat. I refer to my preferred unbleached flour as white flour. The three main types of flour are cake flour which is very finely ground, bread flour which is made from a harder wheat and is high in gluten which made to dough it produces doughier and is used for bread and pasta. Last but not least is the flour everyone has in their pantry, All Purpose Flour which is really a blend of the other flours making it ALL PURPOSE.

I like my pizza like a like my women a little on the chewier side, tougher if you will so I use bread flour which is unbleached as well. A brief side note on bleaching, it is what the name implies like 1950's starlets bleached with some form of peroxide and sometimes other agents. I also like to occasionally mix in between a quarter and a third of whole wheat flour which adds a nutty dimension to the finished product.

Ingredients:
3 - 4 Cups of Flour
1/4 Oz Rapid Rise Yeast
1 Cup of Warm Water (110-115 degrees)

Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl add your dry yeast and optionally a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. The sugar kick starts the yeast by giving a quick snack and the salt keeps it from rising too fast. Add the 1 cup of water. Most household hot water heaters are set to about 120 degrees and your body temperature is about 98 degrees so mid way between full on hottest you can make your tap go and feeling just barely warm on your finger is the right temperature for the yeast to wake up and work.

Mix the yeast around with a fork or spoon or your finger if no one is watching and give it a minute to start to bloom. You may see bubbles start to rise up that is the yeast belching which is what makes the dough rise. Start adding your flour (the first 3 cups) and with a oil coated scraper or spoon get the mixing started. You could also oil your hands and just jump right in, your choice.

Once the initial three cups of flour are all incorporated you have to get your hands in the mix. Flour your counter or table and dump the dough ball out. Add about another half cup of flour and start kneading the dough by pushing down with the heel of your hand and then lifting and folding the dough onto itself and repeat. The more your knead the dough the sticker it will get as the glutens are released so keep adding a little flour at a time to stop it from sticking.

After you have kneaded the dough for about 3-4 minutes form it into a ball, dust it with flour all the way around and cover it with a bath towel. In about an hour it will have doubled in size and is either ready to use or punched down wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge or freezer for use later.

Lots of words but not lots of time. The active part of making pizza dough is less then 5 minutes which unless you live next door to a supermarket, bakery or pizzeria that sells raw dough is less time then it takes to go and buy it.