Have you ever wondered how difficult is it to make a pizza? Well, I was simply curious when I looked at several websites on how to make a pizza dough. The end result of that curiosity is homemade pizza. If you’re turned off by the thought of having to flip the pizza dough high in the air and twirl it about, and the many hours that go into kneading and rolling it, let me just say that this is one pizza recipe worth trying. It’s not tedious and my first attempt was successful. I don’t know if it’s beginner’s luck, but it was just soo tasty and scrumptious, I couldn’t resist making another batch of pizza dough for use next week. It’s now happily waiting for its moment to thaw and be eaten. Yum…

The recipe below is from this site. Although I’ve tweaked the preparation method, for the most part of it, it’s the same.

Ingredients for the dough: (makes 2 pizzas each about 15in x 10in)

1 satchet of instant yeast (1/4 oz)
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup room temperature water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for the topping: (Use whatever you have!)

Spaghetti sauce (recommended Ragu’s Tomato, Onion and Garlic)
2 sausages - sliced
1 tomato - sliced into rings (not too thin)
1/4 bell pepper - sliced
1/4 capsicum - sliced
1 can of sliced button mushrooms - drained, rinsed and pat dried
mozarella cheese - enough to cover the topping

Method:

1. Sprinkle the yeast into the lukewarm water and let it dissolve and become a little frothy. It will take about 10 min. If after 10 minutes, the yeast is not frothing but has dissolved and you see little bubbles appearing, stir briskly to mix the water and yeast well.
2. Add the olive oil and room temperature water to the yeast mixture.
3. In a mixer, mix the salt and flour on low using the paddle.
4. Add the yeast mixture a little at a time until the mixture becomes difficult to mix with the paddle.
5. Change to dough hooks and continue to mix until the dough is well mixed and elastic. It should have cleared the flour from sides of the bowl. If the dough is not picking up the rest of the flour from the bottom of the bowl, add a few drops of olive oil. If it is too wet, add a little more flour.
6. Remove from the bowl and knead it a few times by hand. (See the first second video to know what the dough should look like)
7. In a big clean bowl, drop a few drops of olive oil and smear it all over the bowl.
8. Coat the dough with a few drops of olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
9. Leave it for about 2 hours in a warm place to proof it. It should double its original size.
10. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
11. When the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough a few times to remove the air bubble.
12. Remove the dough and place it on a clean surface. Fold the sides of the dough under it to form a smooth ball of dough.
13. Place this new ball of dough back into the big bowl and leave it for 10 minutes.
14. Remove the dough and place it on a clean surface. Cut enough of the dough to make the size of pizza you like. The dough should be soft and malleable.
15. Place the dough on a non-stick baking tray.
16. Use either a rolling pin or your fingers (I used fingers!!) to stretch the dough in an outward pushing motion.  This will help to stretch the dough out to fit the size of the pan used. Try to press it so that the base of the pizza will be even in thickness. Leave the sides of the pizza slightly thicker.
17. Lift the sides of the stretched pizza, and sprinkle some semolina flour under it. Do this all around so that there is a a very thin layer between the non stick pan and the pizza.
18. When you have the desired shape and size of the pizza, drop a few drops of olive oil on the surface of the pizza and smear it all over the pizza. Brush the thicker rim of the pizza with a bit more olive oil.
19. Spread a very light amount of spaghetti sauce on the pizza avoiding the rim.
20. Place it in the preheated oven for 3 minutes.
21. Remove from the oven and spread more spaghetti sauce on the pizza.
22. Spread the topping evenly and cover with mozarella cheese.
23. Bake for 7 - 10 minutes or until cheese and crust is golden brown.
24. Leave aside for 5 min before cutting into slices.
25. Serve.

Don’t you just love the colors?!!




Here’s the beautifully baked underside of the pizza.

Tips:

• The unused portion of dough should be covered generously with olive oil, wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer until ready to use.
• When ready to use the frozen portion, leave it outside to thaw, knead a few times before rolling it out.
• Use bread flour for better results.
• Leaving the dough in the oven for a few minutes before adding the topping helps the underside of the crust to cook first.
• If using minced meat, cook the meat in a pan with a pinch of salt until the meat browns. Throw away the excess liquid.
• Spreading olive oil on the surface of the pizza helps to prevent the pizza dough from absorbing too much of the liquid from the sauce and making it soggy.
• Combining mozarella, parmesan and cheddar cheese makes the cheese topping taste even better!
• Since it takes at least 2 hours to proof, I suggest you take the time into consideration when preparing this…
• Use leftovers as topping for the pizza.
• SInce it’s your own homemade pizza, you don’t have to get a perfect circle…any shape will do. Now, doesn’t that make you feel better already?

These were 2 videos which helped me understand what I was looking for in the texture of the dough.

Italian Food:How To Make Pizza Dough