Recipe: Perfect Pizza Crust
Summary: This pizza dough recipe is fantastic!
Recipe submitted by: Val Kehler Reimer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup plus
- 1 tablespoons *tepid water
Instructions
- Heat water to between 110-115F; add sugar, and yeast. Proof yeast mixture for 5 minutes. Put dry ingredients into mixer fitted with a dough hook; add yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix on low until ingredients are moistened. Increase to speed 2 and knead for 5 -10 minutes.
- To let dough rise: (this is a good time to preheat your oven to 475F). Place dough in a large oiled bowl and allow it to double in size; 30-60 minutes. Place risen dough onto parchment paper and press it into a 12-inch circle. Dock dough with fork. Prebake 7-10 minutes. Brush edges with oil; add toppings. Return to oven to bake an additional 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush edges with oil again; sprinkle with garlic salt (lightly).
Quick Notes
Start by placing a baking stone on the 2nd lowest rack position in your oven and preheat it at 475F for an entire hour. I know that sounds like a long time, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Take your risen pizza dough and press it into a 12-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper. This eliminates the need for cornmeal or flour on the bottom of your crust.
Carefully slip the pizza dough on the parchment paper onto the searing hot baking stone in the oven. To easily remove the crust from the oven, just grab a corner of the parchment and pull off the oven shelf carefully with your oven glove under the baked crust and onto a heat safe surface.
I “dock” my dough to keep from developing big air bubbles during the baking process. I use a fork to do this – poking holes all over the portion of the dough that will hold the toppings.
Prebake the naked crust for 7 minutes.
Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil.
Add your favorite jarred or homemade pizza sauce and then add whichever toppings you like, finishing with cheese.
Sprinkle a good healthy dose of dried oregano on top of the cheese. Again, trust me, this takes the pizza to an entirely new level. Now back into the 475F oven for another 7-10 minutes.
When you take your finished pizza out of the oven, brush the edges with a little more olive oil and a light sprinkling of garlic salt.
*Tepid water is a mixture of two parts cold water to one part boiling water and is frequently used in breadmaking.
I tried this pizza crust and it’s a hit at our place!
Sounds delicious Val! I will certainly be trying this one. It sounds very much like the one I make, but I have never preheated the stone. Can’t wait for the right occasion….