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Dough for Pizza

Illustration of a slice of pizza
Illustration of a slice of pizza, from openclipart.org

I’ve come to think about any dough can be made into pizza. A 10-14 oz. ball of bread dough will roll or press out to about 12 inches’ round, a conventional size that will feed 2-4 people, depending on the sides. “Will it be any good” is the question, and “all pizza is good” is not the answer.

My main problem with any dough till this one was sog. Invariable I’d have to deal with liquid pooling in the middle after baking. The marinara would separate, or the zucchini would leach out its water.

This dough, originally “Light-as-Air Pizza” from King Arthur, is amazing. It must be due to the unexpected baking powder and also the oil. In the oven the dough rises to have an airy crumb simultaneously with a crispy bottom, without being either cracker thin or rising-crust pan-pizza doughy.

The best feature, not mentioned in the original recipe, is that the crust can handle lots of toppings. If there is liquid that comes out, the bottom crust stays crisp.

Another key attribute is that it’s quick, for a yeast dough. Kneading is minimal, too. Just need a couple hours’ notice for a “let’s up and have pizza at home tonight.” My adaptation:

  • 241 grams (2 cups) flours, perhaps roughly half whole wheat and half unbleached white
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • About 1 teaspoon good yeast (an envelope/packet is 2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 0-2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten powder (1 teaspoon for half whole wheat to 2 teaspoons for 100% whole wheat, or zero for unbleached white or bread flour)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
  • 188 g (3/4 cup) tepid-to-lukewarm water
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, optional
  1. Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Add oil to water in a measuring cup. (The sugar and oil can add crispness) Add liquids to dry mix. Stir with spoon, bread whisk or by hand thoroughly. Knead briefly in bowl, 2-5 minutes. (Mix/knead in food processor or mixer work, too.) Form into a tight ball.
  2. Cover bowl, then let dough rise 1/2 hour to 2 hours at room temperature. (Dough can be refrigerated then baked hours later / overnight after resting on counter at room temperature 2-4 hours.) The dough will get puffy but not really double.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees a half hour before baking.
  4. Place a square of parchment paper on a 12-14-inch dry round pizza pan (the lip will help guide the shape). Press out with fingertips and palms to desired diameter. If dough resists, let it rest 5 minutes and resume pressing out.
  5. If using a pizza stone, slide the paper and dough from pan, invert pan and slide the paper and dough onto the bottom of the pan. This will make it easy to slide paper and pizza onto the hot pizza stone.
    • If not baking with a pizza stone, leave pressed out dough on parchment on right-size up pan.
  6. Add toppings. Just over a half cup of marinara or pasta sauce is about right, then up to 1 1/2 cups of toppings and, optionally, a half cup of shredded vegan or dairy cheese.
  7. Bake 14 minutes, check edges for sufficient browning and bake up to 4 more minutes.

Notes

  • We’re not wild about vegan cheese and find we don’t miss cheese at all on homemade pizza. My replacement believe it or not is just over a half cup of raw walnut pieces.
  • Because of the oil in the dough and use of parchment paper, dusting with flour or coating dough ball with more oil is not needed for shaping.
  • Tip for more crispiness: Don’t put any sauce or toppings on an inch-wide circle in the center, leave that dough bare. As a reminder to yourself, center a clean quarter or something similar on the flattened dough before you add the goodies; then remove the prop before baking.)
  • Here’s my go-to marinara sauce, otherwise used for pasta.
  • However with pizza, I now prefer sliced tomatoes arranged like pepperoni across the crust, Pizza Sans Sauce.
    Update — Here’s that “Dry Sauce” as the recipe has evolved:
    • 12-16 oz. fresh tomatoes, sliced, retaining liquid from carving board  (that’s 2-3 Romas or 1-2 conventional tomatoes)
    • 1 Tablespoon dried herbs such as basil, oregano or Italian herb blend
    • 1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes OR dried cilantro
    • 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
    • 1 minced garlic clove OR 1/2 teaspoon dried garlic powder/granules
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper OR 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 1. Place all ingredients in medium mixing bowl and mix gently.
      2. Let rest so dried ingredients can rehydrate and slightly thicken the liquid that the salt is leaching out, 30 minutes. Can refrigerate if prepping for later use.
      3. When ready to bake, stir the “dry sauce” gently. Using fingers or a fork, lift each tomato slice so liquid drips back into bowl, arranging them on the pressed-out dough along with other toppings. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the liquid in bowl over the toppings.
      Note: Reserve leftover tomatoes and flavored liquid for another use. Again, the point is maximum flavor and minimal sogginess.
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