The Best Pizza Dough and What To Make Out of It

 

1 cup warm water aim for 107-110° F
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour give or take 1/2 cup, depending on the heat & humidity

In a large mixing bowl, preferably the bowl of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Let yeast mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking.

With the mixer on low, add in salt, oil and half the flour. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn't stick to your hands. The dough should also be cleaning the sides of the bowl but still sticking to the bottom. This is normal!
Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on a low to medium speed to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!*
Lightly grease the bowl & the ball of dough with olive oil so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature 1-2 hours or until it's doubled in size. If your house is on the cooler side, place it in your oven with the light on.
Once pizza dough has risen, you can use as desired. 

To Freeze

Simply follow the directions all the way stopping after you knead the dough for 6 minutes. This is the point when you could freeze your dough. Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal, removing all air, and freeze for up to three months.

To Use Frozen Dough

Remove from the freezer and place the frozen dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it defrost, then rise until it has doubled in size; 6 hours or so, depending how warm or cold your kitchen is. Then use it as you’d like.

How to Use the Dough

Divide into 2 separate dough balls if you want two 12″ pizzas, which is what this recipe makes. Your pizza dough should be easy to work with and be easily pressed out and formed into round pizzas. You can either use a rolling pin, use your fingers to stretch and press out the dough into a round shape or you can try tossing the pizza dough up in the air (like they do at those old school pizzerias) and use the back of your hands (think loose fists) to stretch the dough into shape.

Source: Lauren's Latest

Cheesy Breadsticks

1 dough ball (half recipe)
3 tablespoons butter salted, melted
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
1 tablespoon basil fresh, chopped (or parsley), for garnish
1 cup pizza sauce warmed, or marina


Preheat oven to 475° F with pizza stone inside. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside-down cookie sheet with parchment paper.)
Mix butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl and set aside.
On a floured surface, gently stretch and spread dough ball into a 10-inch circle.
Carefully remove hot pizza stone from oven and and transfer to the pizza dough to the stone, quickly repositioning it to keep its shape and cover the entire stone.
Brush the garlic butter mixture over the dough and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Bake 9-12 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Ovens can vary, so keep an eye on it.
Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil.
Allow to cool 1-2 minutes before slicing. I like to cut the whole thing in half, then into 1 1/2" strips.
Serve hot with warm pizza sauce or marinara for dipping.

White Pizza

1 (1-pound) ball refrigerated pizza dough

Sauce

1 Half Stick (1/4 cup) Butter, divided

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh garlic

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (8-ounce) package (2 cups) Cheese Chunk, shredded



Heat oven to 425ºF. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.


Press dough with floured hands onto prepared baking sheet into ghost shape, 17 inches tall and 15 inches wide from arm to arm. Bake 10 minutes.


Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 1-quart saucepan until sizzling. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in flour; cook over medium heat until bubbly. Cook 1 minute. Stir in milk and salt. Continue cooking; stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

Spread partially baked crust with sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Continue baking 13-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Garnish as desired.

Source: Land of Lakes

Stromboli

1/2 lb pizza dough,1/2 of recipe
1/2 cup pizza sauce plus more for dipping, optional
9 slices provolone cheese
9 slices salami
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese freshly grated
1 egg beaten
basil fresh, chopped, for garnish (optional)
parmesan cheese grated, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 425° F. Line large rimmed cookie sheet with parchment or spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread pizza dough out on baking sheet to be approximately 10×16.
Spread pizza sauce over 2/3's of the dough lengthwise, leaving a 3×16 rectangle of plain dough along one of the edges.
Layer the salami, pepperoni, and cheese overtop the sauce.
Brush the plain strip of dough with the egg. Fold in the sides about an inch and brush them with egg.
Roll up like a jelly roll lengthwise starting along the long edge of dough topped with all the fillings and ending with the plain strip of dough on the bottom of the roll.
Brush the entire stromboli with egg and gently cut diagonal slits in the top of the dough every 1-2 inches.
Bake in the upper third of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Cool 5 minutes and slice into diagonal pieces along the slits that you cut earlier. Serve with more pizza sauce, if desired.

Source: Lauren's Latest