I have been making my own pizza crust for as long as I have been making pizza. Growing up, my Dad would buy a pizza dough mix that was basically flour, yeast and salt and we would add oil and water. Once I figured out how easy it was to make, I have been working on perfecting my recipe.
I make thick crust, double crust and thin crust pizzas. Tonight's dinner was Thin Crust Pizza and I think it the best recipe to date.
chef tips for making thin crust pizza
The key was baking the pizza on parchment paper on a baking stone. It made it easy to roll the dough, get the pizza in and out of the oven, and there was no mess. I also made a quick sauce with canned crushed tomatoes, basil, and sauteed onions. I topped some of the pizzas with just mozzarella and the others with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. I also brushed the edge of the crust with olive oil and sprinkled it with some bread dipping spices. Here are the recipes I used:
Thin Crust Pizza -- makes about 6 (12-inch) pizzas
serves 6 generously
6 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons fast-acting yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups warm water
Mix flour, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer. Add in honey, olive oil, and water and mix until dough starts to come together. Remove from bowl and knead for about a minute or two. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover in plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third or the oven. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Work with one piece at a time and form into a disk. Place dough onto a piece of parchment paper and roll out into a 12 inch circle. The dough should be really thin. Spread with a thin layer of sauce and top with mozzarella cheese or the toppings of your choice. Slide the parchment and pizza onto baking stone. Bake for about 8 - 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove parchment and pizza from oven. I like to slice my pizzas in squares. Enjoy!!!!
Fresh Marinara or Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 can (28 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes
8 - 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onions in the olive oil until transparent, about 8 - 10 minutes. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or crush the with your hands. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer sauce for about 20 - 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Thin Crust Pizza -- makes about 6 (12-inch) pizzas
serves 6 generously
6 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons fast-acting yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups warm water
Mix flour, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer. Add in honey, olive oil, and water and mix until dough starts to come together. Remove from bowl and knead for about a minute or two. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover in plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third or the oven. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Work with one piece at a time and form into a disk. Place dough onto a piece of parchment paper and roll out into a 12 inch circle. The dough should be really thin. Spread with a thin layer of sauce and top with mozzarella cheese or the toppings of your choice. Slide the parchment and pizza onto baking stone. Bake for about 8 - 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove parchment and pizza from oven. I like to slice my pizzas in squares. Enjoy!!!!
Fresh Marinara or Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 can (28 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes
8 - 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onions in the olive oil until transparent, about 8 - 10 minutes. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or crush the with your hands. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer sauce for about 20 - 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
1 comment:
I too enjoy making all sorts of pizzas from scratch...on the grill etc. I loved your post about watching Julia as a child. I was that child, too! I use a peel with cornmeal to slide my pizza into the oven and onto the stone. After I shape the dough, I place it on the peel, add toppings and put 'er in! Everyone loves concocting their own special thin crust pizza. ALMOST as good as the ones I had in Europe. Those pizzas made me never order out again!!!
New to your blog, but I love it!!
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