Best Pizza Dough

Visit dougthecook homemade pizza for instructions on the best pizza!

The other day I made dougthecook pizza dough with an added 1 tsp of cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is a dough conditioner and makes it more elastic and smoother. Oddly enough, this was discovered by reading about moms trying to make a play dough substitute.

The dough was very elastic and easy to work with; easier than not having cream of tartar. The dough seemed smoother; empirical evidence only. Also, the dough rose much better than previously.

Ingredients

* 1 cup warm water (105 - 115 F). Use bottled water.
* 2 TBL corn oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1 tsp cream of tartar
* 2 3/4 cups white flour
* 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 1 tsp active dry yeast

Directions

Combine white flour, wheat flour, cream of tartar, and cornmeal into a bowl and either sift or stir with a whisk.

For breadmaker:
Put in water, sugar, salt, corn oil.
Put in flour mixture.
Sprinkle yeast on top.
Mix on dough setting.

Let the dough rise for an hour then punch down. Put dough in refrigerator for 20 minutes (overnight is best) before making the pizza. This recipe made enough for two 9 inch pizzas.

I made this again the other night - yumm.

This pizza dough is an updated version of an earlier one. Sugar has been added for the yeast feast and the flour increased by 1/4 cup since the dough has turned out sticky the times I made it.

1 cup warm water (105 - 115 F)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 T corn oil
2 3/4 cups white flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 pkg yeast (1/4 oz or 2 1/4 tsp)

Bread maker:
Put in liquids first, then solids then yeast. (The list is in correct order). I swirl the breadmaker container around after adding the water, sugar, salt, and corn oil so they distribute. Mix on dough setting.

Put dough in refrigerator for 20 minutes before making the pizza.

This recipe made enough for two 9 inch pizzas. Brush the dough with oil before putting on the sauce to prevent the sauce from soaking in.
The pizza was cooked on the middle lower rack at 450 F for 20 minutes (until cheese was slightly brown and crust brown).

I love pizza. Who doesn't? Even my very health-conscious wife nibbles at my creations.
After tasting great pizzas such as Garcia's (Champaign, IL), Gino's East in Chicago, and a host of others all over the country. I decided to try making pizza from scratch. After years of experimentation, the perfect pizza is still elusive...at I think so. The pizza crust recipes I've tried will be posted with my comments on them. None of them were bad; just not ideal.

We'll go over pizza doughs, flour, yeast, and dough storage among other things.

We'll post the first recipe in the next day or so. Stay tuned!

Sauces will be another series.

DougtheCook

This years old recipe is a modification of one I found in my bread machine's standard recipes. I use a bread machine to make pizza dough. When it goes bad, I'll revert to a dough hook on my food processor.

Pizza Dough Recipe #1

1 cup flat beer (I use a cheap pilsner beer)
1 TBL light olive oil
2 TBL white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 tsp active dry yeast

Add liquid ingredients then dry ingredients (yeast on top) in the bread machine canister. Run on 'dough' setting. After done, punch down the dough and put in refrigerator for an hour. Punch down again. If left in the refrigerator too long it will start fermenting and smell like beer.

Divide the dough in half. Either roll out and place on a pizza pan or pizza stone or put pizza dough in a 9 inch iron skillet. Poke holes in the bottom with a fork because the dough will rise when cooked. Place on the middle rack, and cook it at 400 degrees for 10 minutes before the toppings go on. This prevents the middle from being gooey.

This dough is pretty good; I still make it from time to time.

Doug the pizza lover

Pizza Dough Recipe #2

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp honey
1 cup water, 105 to 115 deg F
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 T light olive oil
1/4 cup cornmeal (opt)

I tried this several times but it tasted floury. One thing I discovered is when I make dough or bread using a bread machine if the water or milk is at 115 degrees the product turns out better. I always thought the bread machine would heat up the mixture to the correct temperature but having the liquid at the right temperature guarantees it. Also bringing all ingredients to room temperature helps.

Cornmeal was added on to try and take out the flour taste but to no avail.
Onward!

Doug

Pizza Dough #3

1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1 cup water, 105 to 115 deg F
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup corn oil
2 TBL light olive oil

After splitting the dough in half, I baked it in a 9 inch iron skillet , with toppings, on bottom rack at 425 deg for 20 minutes. The crust was tasty and very crisp. Whole wheat (replaced 1 1/4 cup flour with whole wheat flour) next time and the taste was not that good. The dough was somewhat sticky and rose some during cooking.

DtC

We'll take a break from creating the dough and discuss the best way to cook pizza dough. First topic is what to put the pizza dough in. Several ways exist for the home pizza chef:

1. Pizza Pan
2. Pizza Stone
3. Iron Skillet
4. Cookie Sheet
5. Directly on the Rack

Some are lucky enough to have a wood-burning stove.

1. Pizza pan. The venerable pizza pan comes in several flavors: steel, aluminum, cast iron, and nonstick. We have found that the nonstick eventually disappears and cannot stand up to metal spatulas and pizza cutters. Another way pizza pans are constructed is they are two pieces of metal held together with an air gap in between. The idea is better (i.e. more even) heat distribution. Some are made with aluminum coated steel which heats more evenly. Some pans are anodized aluminum which is aluminum with a hard protective coating.

The pan's surface is smooth, perforated, or nibbled. The claim with perforated pans is the holes release moisture under the crust, allowing it to bake crisper. We have not seen a noticeable difference between perforated and non perforated. One problem with perforated pans is that cheese and sauce drip off sliced pizza and clogs up in the holes. A toothpick makes short work of the clogs. Of course the pizza can be removed to a cutting board.

One style of pan is it has raised bumps (called nibbles) that allow the pizza dough air gaps underneath to let out steam and make the crust crisper. The solution is self-defeating: in order to get a crisp crust it must be in contact with a hot surface!

And the color varies: Silver or black. We prefer black since it absorbs heat better.

Though most are round, rectangular pans exist for making Sicilian pizza.

2. Pizza Stone.
Ahh, the pizza stone. Most feel this is the best way to cook pizza dough...and the trickiest. The stone can be bought or created using unglazed terra cotta tile, about a 1/2 inch thick. The stone is preheated then sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking. The tricky part is getting the dough onto the stone. Most chefs roll the dough and place it on a pizza peel (like a large, long-handled spatula) then slide it onto the stone. Sprinkle cornmeal on the peel to prevent sticking.

part II follows

DtC

3. Iron Skillet.
One overlooked pizza pan is the venerable seasoned iron skillet (we use 9 inch or 12 inch). If the skillet is well-seasoned, it does not need any oil coatings.
The dough is spread by hand in the skillet to the edge then placed in an oven. Crusts come out crisp. The pizza can be sliced in the pan but it is much easier to remove it to a cutting board.

4. Cookie Sheet
Some cookie sheets will work but many are double layered so the bottom of the cookie does not burn before it is done. This hinders the pizza dough from getting crisp.

5. Directly on the Rack
This only works for frozen pizzas, frozen dough, or precooked pizza dough.

Some closing tips:

1. Measure your oven to make sure the pizza pan you purchase will fit in it! Some pans are more than 16 inches in diameter which do not fit in some ovens.
2. Dusting the pan with cornmeal will help keep the dough from sticking.
3. Most pizza pans are dishwasher safe.
4. On thick dough it is good to prick it with a fork several times to let the steam out when cooking.
5. Some cooks roll their dough on parchment paper then place it on the pizza pan or stone. This facilitates easy removal.

Doug

Pizza Dough #4

1 cup water (105 - 115 F)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pkg yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 TBL cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 TBL corn oil
1 TBL olive oil
2 1/2 cups white bread flour
1/4 tsp yellow food coloring

For breadmaker:
Put ingredients into baking bin in order. Mix on dough setting. After it is done, punch down dough and let rise again. Put in refrigerator for at least an hour. The longer it stays in, the more like beer it will taste since the dough will start to ferment.

After dividing the dough in half, I cooked this in a 9 inch iron skillet on bottom rack at 425 F with toppings already on the dough. After the cheese was just starting to turn brown, out it came. The crust was crisp and with a pretty good taste. The inside of the dough was a touch gooey. Next time I'll paint olive oil on the dough so the sauce will not soak into the dough as easily.

Doug

1 cup water (105 - 115 F)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pkg yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 TBL cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 TBL corn oil
1 TBL olive oil
2 1/2 cups white bread flour
1/4 tsp yellow food coloring

For breadmaker:
Put ingredients into baking bin in order. Mix on dough setting. After it is done, punch down dough and let rise again. Put in refrigerator for at least an hour. The longer it stays in, the more like beer it will taste since the dough will start to ferment.

After dividing the dough in half, I cooked this in a 9 inch iron skillet on bottom rack at 425 F with toppings already on the dough. After the cheese was just starting to turn brown, out it came. The crust was crisp and with a pretty good taste. The inside of the dough was a touch gooey. Next time I'll paint olive oil on the dough so the sauce will not soak into the dough as easily.

Doug

Here is another pizza dough recipe I tried last night:

1 cup warm water (105 - 115 F)
1 tsp salt
2 T corn oil
2 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 pkg yeast (1/4 oz or 2 1/4 tsp)

For bread maker:
Put in liquids first, then solids then yeast. (The list is in correct order) Mix on dough setting.

Put in refrigerator for 20 minutes before making the pizza.

This recipe made enough for two 9 inch pizzas. I put the dough into a 9 inch iron skillet with sauce and toppings. One thing I forgot to do was brush the dough with oil before putting on the sauce/toppings. This prevents the sauce from soaking into the dough.
The pizza was cooked on the middle lower rack at 400 F for 20 minutes (until cheese was slightly brown and crust brown). Yumm. Reminded me a little of Pizzeria Uno.

Pizza dough freezes well so it pays to make a large batch. Divide up the dough into two balls (most recipes make enough dough for two pizzas) and flatten the ball to be frozen. Cover with plastic wrap then aluminum foil and into the freezer it goes.

Fresh pizza dough can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days though the yeast starts to ferment after a 1/2 day and the pizza dough will smell like beer. Form the dough into a small patty and cover it lightly with olive oil to prevent skinning.

Doug

There are several categories of yeast:

* Baker's Yeast
* Nutritional Yeast
* Brewer's Yeast

Since pizza dough is the overall theme, we will restrict our discussion to baker's yeast.

Baker's yeast is used in home and commercial baking. There are several kinds of yeasts to choose from:

* Active Dry Yeast
* Instant Dry Yeast (quick rise)
* Instant Dry Yeast for Bread Machine
* Compressed Yeast

Compressed yeast (CY), aka wet yeast or fresh yeast, is generally sold to consumers in block sizes of 2 oz or 8 oz. It has a high moisture content (about 70%) and has a shelf life of 8 weeks since packaging. It must be kept 35 to 38 deg F to maintain its freshness and activity.

Active Dry Yeast (ADY) has most of the moisture removed from it (about 8% moisture content). This puts the yeast in a semi dormant state which increases the shelf life to about a year. It comes in 3 pack strips or a 4 oz jar. ADY needs hydration (putting in 110 F water for 10 minutes) to work. ADY requires two risings of the dough.

Quick-Rise Yeast (IDY) is an amalgamation of two strains of yeast to create a superior yeast. IDY will reduce the rise time of dough by up to 50%. IDY does not need hydration to work. Only requires one rising of the dough.

Bread machine yeast (BMY) is a quick rise yeast with ascorbic acid added as a dough conditioner (helps dough stretch better). The granules are very fine so they mix well in a bread machine.
Conversions:

Use 2 parts compressed yeast for 1 part ADY.
Use 3 parts compressed yeast for 1 part IDY or BMY.
Use 1 1/4 parts ADY for 1 part IDY or BMY.
Use 3/4 parts IDY or BMY for 1 part ADY.

Proportions to use:

* Use 3/4 tsp ADY for every cup (4 oz) of flour
* Use 1/2 tsp IDY or BMY for every cup of flour

DtC

From all the pizza doughs I've been trying here is an amalgamation of them. It came out crisp with a good taste to it. I have a sneaking suspicion that many commercial pizza doughs use shortening.

After spreading the dough out and punching several holes in the bottom with a fork, the sauce and toppings went on then I cooked it in a 9 inch iron skillet on the middle-low rack at 400 F for 25 minutes (until the cheese was a nice brown). Lucky me: it made enough for two pizzas. The sauce I used was sauce #1 which I listed in an earlier post which is pretty good but a bit too much tomato taste. Next time I'll cut the tomato paste in half.

1 cup water (110-115 F)
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/3 cup corn oil
1 T sugar
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 1/2 cups bread flour

I made this in a breadmaker on dough setting. Once it was done I let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. I punched it down, divided it in half, and made the first pizza. Note that I brought the dough to room temperature before using it. The second pizza, which I had the next night was not quite as good so I think keeping in the fridge for two nights is a slight negative.

Next time I'll make this on a pizza stone.

Pizza Dough Recipe

1 cup warm water (110 F)
1 T olive oil
1 T white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp active dry yeast

I make this in a bread maker on dough setting. Enough for two 12 inch thin crust pizzas or one Chicago style.

Brush crust with olive oil before putting on the topping. It helps prevent the sauce from soaking in the dough and making it soggy.

This is a pretty good recipe. The fact that it only has 1 teaspoon of yeast limits the rising of the dough making it denser instead of airy.