Perfect Pizza Dough

Photo: flickr user lgkiii

Ingredients

1 pkt yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup cool water

3 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

Dissolve yeast in warm water, and let proof 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the salt, honey, olive oil and cool water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Mix well.

Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour honey-water mixture and proofed yeast into well. Slowly incorporate flour into wet ingredients, working outward from the center. When dough is formed, transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth. Place in a buttered bowl; let rest, covered, for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into four equal parts. Roll into smooth, tight balls. place on a flat dish, cover with a damp towel. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. One hour before baking, remove dough from refrigerator.

Lightly flour work surface. Flatten each ball of dough into a circle about 6 inches in diameter, making the outer edge thicker than the center. Turn dough over and repeat. Lift the dough and gently stretch the edges, working clockwise to form a 7-8" circle.

Before you are ready to bake the pizzas, preheat a pizza stone in a 500F oven for 30 minutes. Top individual pizzas with the desired ingredients. Bake pizzas on a pizza stone for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Maureen wrote the paragraphs below, after Jamie went over and made pizza her favorite way. Jamie adapted it for the bread machine and not having a pizza stone.

FOR THE BREAD MACHINE: Put all ingredients in bucket of bread machine in order recommended by the manufacturer. Process to dough cycle, remove from bucket to floured cloth, form into ball and let rest for 10 minutes. On cloth form dough into pizza round, leaving the edges thicker. Prick middle circle of dough with fork, then put onto pizza pan (this amount of dough is perfect for a 15" pan). Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from oven, top with pesto, cheese, olives, chopped artichoke hearts and ham or anything that you like on a pizza. After baking an additional 15 - 20 minutes add sliced fresh tomatoes. I use Sargento 6 Italian Cheese Blend.

PESTO: one bunch of basil, leaves only, 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, peeled, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, 1/3 cup olive oil, and 1/3 cup pine nuts (you can substitute any nuts that you have on hand). Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until a paste like consistency. Add more oil of necessary. When using on pizza combine 4 tablespoons pesto and 2 tablespoons olive oil, then spread on dough after brief baking, before other toppings.

More Notes from Jamie:I also add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning to the dough. If I have caramelized onions on hand, I'll add a few tablespoons. and I form all of the pizza right on the pan. I don't have room in my kitchen for a pastry cloth...so I put the pan on a TV tray in the living room...and go at it. It's a wonderfully workable dough...can take lots of stretching. and I use both pesto and a red sauce (with caramelized onions if I have 4 hours to do the sauce)...because my hubby would never have just a green pizza. They are a great combination. The pesto is quite sharp tasting...and the tomato sauce almost sweet.

Prebaking the dough...is a great idea I got from a bread machine book. No more soggy homemade pizza...even if you like lots of sauce (which my husband does). The bottom crust gets nice and crispy.