Mexican Thin Pizza Crust

Photo: flickr user JOE M500

Ingredients

2/3 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced jalapeno

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon bread machine yeast

Preparation

Place all of the ingredients in your machine in the order recommended by your machine's manufacturer. Select the dough cycle and press start. You may need to add some more flour (1 tablespoon at a time) if the dough is too wet or more water if the dough is too dry (1 tablespoon at a time).

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Grease the pizza pan with olive oil or pan spray. If using a peel and stone, dust the peel with cornmeal to prevent the pizza from sticking. While the dough is rising, prepare your toppings and grate your cheese.

After the dough has risen one time, roll it out on a lighly floured or cornmealed surface or hand stretch until a nice circle is formed. It may never be a perfect circle but that is just part of homemade pizza. Dust the dough with flour or cornmeal only as needed to prevent sticking. Lay the dough on your prepared pan or peel. Pull the dough up around the edges of the pan so that a slight lip is formed, and crimp the edges.

For a thin crispy crust, place your toppings on the pizza and bake immediately. For a thicker, chewier crust, allow the dough to rise for 15 to 30 minutes. The longer the rise, the thicker the dough. Place your toppings on. You should place sauce first, followed by cheese, meat, vegetables and seasonings. You should also leave 1/2-inch untopped border around the crust.

Place the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven or directly on the pizza stone and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. This should take 10 to 15 minutes.

This recipe yields 1 pizza.

Yield: 1 pizza