Second Attempt at Homemade Pizza
As the Wonder Pets would say "This is SERIOUS!" (replacing the R with a W of course!)
Ever since my first "round" with homemade pizza dough I have been scouring the webiverse (web and universe combined) for the perfect blend of ingredients to make a not so doughy homemade pizza dough. I have searched, searched and searched some more and I finally found a way to do it! The problem is, I can only tell you the base of the recipe and not really the measurements of the spices I added. I'll just tell you add whatever spices you like to taste.
Below are the ingredients that I used for the base of the dough.
Ever since my first "round" with homemade pizza dough I have been scouring the webiverse (web and universe combined) for the perfect blend of ingredients to make a not so doughy homemade pizza dough. I have searched, searched and searched some more and I finally found a way to do it! The problem is, I can only tell you the base of the recipe and not really the measurements of the spices I added. I'll just tell you add whatever spices you like to taste.
Below are the ingredients that I used for the base of the dough.
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
Sprinkling of a bit of white sugar to activate yeast (if needed)
2 cups AP Flour
1 teaspoon salt (I used sea salt)
2-3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
My mix-in's were:
White pepper
Garlic Powder
Honey (very little - gives the slightest hint of sweetness to the dough but not overpowering)
Unfortunately I can't tell you how much of the above listed spices/ingredients I put in there because I didn't measure them, I'm notorious, when cooking for sprinkling stuff in my hand and when it looks right turning my hand over and plopping it into the mix. With ingredients like salt though I'm much more careful because it's way too easy to over-salt a dish. I'm of the contention that I'd rather add salt little by little than add too much. Sadly I've added too much salt to a dish before and completely ruined what might have been the best pasta sauce ever!
Unfortunately I can't tell you how much of the above listed spices/ingredients I put in there because I didn't measure them, I'm notorious, when cooking for sprinkling stuff in my hand and when it looks right turning my hand over and plopping it into the mix. With ingredients like salt though I'm much more careful because it's way too easy to over-salt a dish. I'm of the contention that I'd rather add salt little by little than add too much. Sadly I've added too much salt to a dish before and completely ruined what might have been the best pasta sauce ever!
Directions for making this dough the Shauna G way are as follows:
3/4 cup warm water - mixed with 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast - sprinkle in a bit of white sugar if the yeast doesn't bubble and do it's thing. Give the mixture a good stir and let it hang out for about 5 minutes. Bubbles = good!
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment combine the flour and salt. Once that's combined and your yeasty mixture has been hanging out for a while, go ahead and pour that in and turn the mixer back on medium speed. Slowly, while the mixer is running, drizzle in the EVOO until it's sticky but not overly so.
Pull the dough out of the bowl and knead it for about 1-2 minutes, not much longer than that, you just want to make sure all of the ingredients and spices you added are fully integrated into the dough.
At this point you will have a beautiful looking ball of dough that you will need to place in a well oiled bowl (once again, EVOO). STOP! It's not going to rise immediately, it may not ever rise. I know this because I threw out the first batch of dough because it didn't rise after hanging out at room temperature for over an hour, I was convinced I had done something wrong - into the trash it went! I read further about the combination with this little amount of yeast and it just doesn't rise quickly. Once you're done making the dough just go ahead and put it in the refrigerator at this point (well covered) and wait until the next day to make it. Wanna hear something crazy? Mine rose in the refrigerator overnight. Who the heck knew that could even happen? If you would like to use the dough on the same day you make it, I'd advise letting it rest for about an hour or two prior to using it - who knows, if you aren't impatient like me, it might just rise!
As usual, I always forget a step in the photo process - maybe I'm not the greatest food blogger, but at least I'm trying right? Right! There is no picture of the dough as a ball. I think that my loving husband can vouch for me from the mess he witnessed in the kitchen that the dough was indeed homemade. You're just going to have to trust me on this one.
Here's a photo of the dough spread out onto a greased (using EVOO) 9x13 jelly roll pan.
How did I cook it, well, that's the coolest part! I went ahead got the dough ready. Then I put my pizza stone in the oven on the lowest rack possible making room so that I could put the pan on top of the pizza stone. I pre-heated the oven to 500 and waited and waited and it seems like it took forever for the oven to reach temperature. I might as well have cooked it outside in the 110 degree heat. I wish I was kidding! Dallas heat this year is B-R-U-T-A-L!!!
While I was waiting for the oven to reach the appropriate temperature, I decorated the dough, if you will, with a sprinkling of sea salt, white pepper and a little bit more garlic powder (okay, maybe I got a little heavy handed with the garlic powder). Then I drizzled on some more EVOO and using my hands spread it all around and made everything nice and pretty. Here it is!
While I was waiting for the oven to reach the appropriate temperature, I decorated the dough, if you will, with a sprinkling of sea salt, white pepper and a little bit more garlic powder (okay, maybe I got a little heavy handed with the garlic powder). Then I drizzled on some more EVOO and using my hands spread it all around and made everything nice and pretty. Here it is!
I bet that I could have baked the dough at that point and it would have been a yummy foccacia type bread, but no, I wasn't done yet!
So the oven is FINALLY pre-heated. I went ahead and cut up the fresh buffallo mozzarella and fresh basil. I won't lie to you, I did use store bought tomato sauce this time just because I think part of my downfall last time was that I was over ambitious by making the sauce. Next time I will try making the sauce again.
Another picture I forgot to take is of the pizza going into the oven but here it is when it's out. A tip that I learned from other people about pizza. Do not sprinkle on the fresh basil until the pizza comes out of the oven, which is what I did. The completed product looked and smelled super yummy!
So the oven is FINALLY pre-heated. I went ahead and cut up the fresh buffallo mozzarella and fresh basil. I won't lie to you, I did use store bought tomato sauce this time just because I think part of my downfall last time was that I was over ambitious by making the sauce. Next time I will try making the sauce again.
Another picture I forgot to take is of the pizza going into the oven but here it is when it's out. A tip that I learned from other people about pizza. Do not sprinkle on the fresh basil until the pizza comes out of the oven, which is what I did. The completed product looked and smelled super yummy!
I will say it was MUCH better than my first attempt. I think in this case (as with a lot of things) the third time making homemade pizza dough will be the charm. Next time the plan will be to have the oven preheated with the pizza stone in there just as I did this time, but put the dough in the oven by itself (with no toppings) for about 3-5 minutes to let the bottom begin to crisp. Then quickly add toppings, put it back in the oven and let it finish cooking for about 13-16 minutes (depending upon how brown the cheese is getting). I think a crispier crust would make this even more PERFECT! Don't get me wrong, the dough was completely cooked this time, it just would have been nice had it been a little crispier. Ahhh, dreams of Italy are in my head. As Jack said in LOST "We have to go back!!!"
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