Fast Pizza Dough by Karen Noll

[BakerAunt]

Fast Pizza Dough
Submitted by karen_noll on September 21, 2003 at 6:30 am

For my money, the fastest (and best) pizza dough is made in the food processor. After lots of experiments, I adapted this one from the California Pizza Kitchen cookbook using KAF Sir Lancelot High Gluten Flour for texture and a little whole wheat flour and a touch of honey. I've found that pizza dough made with AP flour lacks the chewy open-holed texture that makes that thin, crusty pizza we all love so much. The food processor method is from The Best Bread Ever by Charles VanOver.

1 pkg. instant yeast
1 cup cool water
3 cups flour (2 1/2 c. high gluten, 1/2 c. whole wheat)
2 T honey
1 tsp salt
2 T olive oil

Place all dry ingredients in bowl of food processor (at least a 7-cup model for this amount of dough) fitted with the steel blade and pulse briefly to combine. Add honey and oil to flour and pulse briefly to combine.

With machine running, add all but 2 T water in a slow steady stream just until dough ball forms, which should be no more than 30 seconds.

Stop the machine at this point and if dough seems too dry, add the remaining water. Continue mixing for no more than an additional 30 seconds. Don't mix too long, as the heat generated by the machine can overheat the dough (temperature of the dough after mixing/kneading should be between 75 and 80 degrees. Dough should be slightly tacky.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead briefly till you can push your finger into the dough ball and the hole doesn't immediately fill in (should only be a moment as most of the kneading is done in the machine).

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The dough will not double at this point.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 and up to 36 hours. The flavor and texture develop nicely.

This recipe makes four individual pizzas or two larger ones. Dough can also be frozen in a zip lock bag. I usually divide the dough into four pieces after the refrigeration, which I then freeze so I always have dough on hand. It only takes about an hour to defrost dough on the counter.

Spread the word

      

  

  

[Author]

Posts