NO KNEAD PIZZA DOUGH (make the day before)
This dough is very forgiving.
Yield: about 3 balls of dough (you can easily double this recipe)
INGREDIENTS:
3 3/4 cups (500 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (be sure not to use hot water as that will kill the yeast)
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Gradually add the water, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the water is incorporated and a shaggy dough forms. You may need to use your hands to fully incorporate the water. Just remember, you don't need to knead!
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a clean large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature in a draft-free place until the dough is doubled in size. This may take up to 18 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Don't worry too much about the time as this dough is very forgiving.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Divide into 3 equal portions. Take one portion of dough and gather 4 corners to the center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and roll into an even ball. Repeat with remaining portions. Let dough rest, covered, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour.
The dough can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate the dough, individually wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days. Unwrap and let rest at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap, for 2 to 3 hours before shaping. Freeze the dough, individually wrapped in plastic and placed in ziptop bags, for up to 1 month. Defrost the dough overnight in the fridge then allow to sit at room temperature as directed above before shaping.
The dough is now ready to be shaped into pizza or whatever else you desire.
-------------------------------
Or ISeeYou's direction's
I typically double the above recipe throwing everything into a food safe no knead bucket and mix it well (until incorporated) theres no need "to knead". Keep it in the bucket and just throw a towel over top (and worry about dividing it the next day)
It takes less then 5 minutes, and its that simple.
----------------------------
When it come to baking it (if you never did so before)
We typically cook pizza on a pizza stone but we do prefer this in a huge cast iron pan that has been preheated in a 450 degree oven.
Just before I am ready to add the pressed out pie dough to the cast iron pan I remove the pan out of the oven (onto the stove top) sprinkling the surface of the pan with some corn meal.
But I pretty much eyeball how much dough will be needed, because the recipes amount is lower then what we need because our pan is much larger.
I press out the dough (starting from the center to the edges) while turning it as I go on a floured surface to just the right size. Then I slide it onto a lightly floured pizza peel just to transfer it into the cast iron pan (adjusting it as needed)
The Sauce (recipe on next post)
I probably only add a couple of tablespoons worth of home made pizza sauce to the dough (the recipe I really like it found beneath this one).
I dont use much at all though.
The Cheese
For a very basic cheese pizza you can just go with mozzarella.
I prefer a homemade mozzarella (and shred that) but if you use store bought mozzarella your better off not using an already shredded cheese (just shred your own). They apparently spray something on store bought pre-shredded so that doesnt get a nice stringy melt out of it.
I typically use three cheeses, shredded mozzarella, and provalone, topped with some fresh grated parmigiano Reggiano (or a fresh grated parmesan cheese). The sauce has adequate seasoning, but I will still sprinkle a little Italian seasoning and a little garlic powder over top.
Then put it into the oven and bake at 450 for around 12-14 minutes, or till the cheese starts bubbling (and turning a light golden brown).
When its ready I take it out of the oven and I remove from the cast iron pan.
I will wait about 3 minutes and then cut with a pizza cutter, and thats pretty much it.
---------------------------
So what I do is take 5 minutes out of my day and make a bucket of no knead bread for the following days pizza (because I need to leave it alone for 12-18 hours) before its ready.
And then I make the sauce (unless I have left over in the freezer) then I would take the sauce out for the next day. That recipe is alos easy.
And I could actually make the mozzarella cheese as the sauce is simmering (because that only takes a half an hour)
But the first two things can be made in advance.
This dough is very forgiving.
Yield: about 3 balls of dough (you can easily double this recipe)
INGREDIENTS:
3 3/4 cups (500 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (be sure not to use hot water as that will kill the yeast)
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Gradually add the water, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the water is incorporated and a shaggy dough forms. You may need to use your hands to fully incorporate the water. Just remember, you don't need to knead!
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a clean large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature in a draft-free place until the dough is doubled in size. This may take up to 18 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Don't worry too much about the time as this dough is very forgiving.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Divide into 3 equal portions. Take one portion of dough and gather 4 corners to the center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and roll into an even ball. Repeat with remaining portions. Let dough rest, covered, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour.
The dough can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate the dough, individually wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days. Unwrap and let rest at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap, for 2 to 3 hours before shaping. Freeze the dough, individually wrapped in plastic and placed in ziptop bags, for up to 1 month. Defrost the dough overnight in the fridge then allow to sit at room temperature as directed above before shaping.
The dough is now ready to be shaped into pizza or whatever else you desire.
-------------------------------
Or ISeeYou's direction's
I typically double the above recipe throwing everything into a food safe no knead bucket and mix it well (until incorporated) theres no need "to knead". Keep it in the bucket and just throw a towel over top (and worry about dividing it the next day)
It takes less then 5 minutes, and its that simple.
----------------------------
When it come to baking it (if you never did so before)
We typically cook pizza on a pizza stone but we do prefer this in a huge cast iron pan that has been preheated in a 450 degree oven.
Just before I am ready to add the pressed out pie dough to the cast iron pan I remove the pan out of the oven (onto the stove top) sprinkling the surface of the pan with some corn meal.
But I pretty much eyeball how much dough will be needed, because the recipes amount is lower then what we need because our pan is much larger.
I press out the dough (starting from the center to the edges) while turning it as I go on a floured surface to just the right size. Then I slide it onto a lightly floured pizza peel just to transfer it into the cast iron pan (adjusting it as needed)
The Sauce (recipe on next post)
I probably only add a couple of tablespoons worth of home made pizza sauce to the dough (the recipe I really like it found beneath this one).
I dont use much at all though.
The Cheese
For a very basic cheese pizza you can just go with mozzarella.
I prefer a homemade mozzarella (and shred that) but if you use store bought mozzarella your better off not using an already shredded cheese (just shred your own). They apparently spray something on store bought pre-shredded so that doesnt get a nice stringy melt out of it.
I typically use three cheeses, shredded mozzarella, and provalone, topped with some fresh grated parmigiano Reggiano (or a fresh grated parmesan cheese). The sauce has adequate seasoning, but I will still sprinkle a little Italian seasoning and a little garlic powder over top.
Then put it into the oven and bake at 450 for around 12-14 minutes, or till the cheese starts bubbling (and turning a light golden brown).
When its ready I take it out of the oven and I remove from the cast iron pan.
I will wait about 3 minutes and then cut with a pizza cutter, and thats pretty much it.
---------------------------
So what I do is take 5 minutes out of my day and make a bucket of no knead bread for the following days pizza (because I need to leave it alone for 12-18 hours) before its ready.
And then I make the sauce (unless I have left over in the freezer) then I would take the sauce out for the next day. That recipe is alos easy.
And I could actually make the mozzarella cheese as the sauce is simmering (because that only takes a half an hour)
But the first two things can be made in advance.
