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Friday, 04 January 2008 18:00 |
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I love to do a "make your own pizza" night at home. It's fun to put out a selection of sauces and toppings for everyone to build their individual pizzas. Everyone has a great time putting theirs together and arguing over what makes a great pizza. For me, a great pizza starts with a great crust. A great crust must be crisp and delicious, but quick and easy to make. This recipe fits that perfectly.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups of flour
- 3 teaspoons of quick-rising yeast
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 3/4 cup very warm water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Mix the sugar and yeast into the warm water and set aside for 5 minutes. This will allow the yeast to "bloom". You'll see bubbles forming on the top of the water after 5 minutes. While the yeast is "blooming", pull out the food processor and put in your chopping blade. Add the flour and salt and pulse quickly to mix.
Add the oil to the water mixture. Slowly pour the water mixture into the food processor as you pulse. Continue pulsing until a soft dough forms into a ball.
Dump the dough out of the food processor and shape it into a ball. Put this ball into an oiled bowl and turn it over so you get oil on all sides of the dough. Cover the bowl and put it in a warm place so the dough will rise. Let it sit for 35 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
It is now ready for you to divide and roll out into pizza crusts. I find that one batch of dough makes enough for two large individual pizzas.
To cook your pizzas, put on your toppings and place in a 500 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
Tips
- For extra flavor, use garlic salt instead of regular salt.
- Throw a couple of teaspoons of a dried herb into the food processor to give more flavor. I like to use rosemary.
- I cook my pizzas on a pizza stone. I leave the stone in the oven while it is preheating and slide the pizza onto it. I find this gives a crispier crust.
- If you like crispier crusts, put your pizza on the bottom rack of the oven.
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