Pizza Dough and Cooking Times
After looking, trying and modifying different recipes this is what I consider to be my favorite. Enjoy it!
After looking, trying and modifying different recipes this is what I consider to be my favorite. Enjoy it!
- Carbohydrate 143.782127220965 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 6.23043702766702 g
- Fiber 5.8813037995734 g
- Protein 20.789508888209 g
- Saturated Fat 0.89555274413549 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (344g)
- Sodium 593.121797506796 mg
- Sugar 137.900823421391 g
- Trans Fat 0.777370739916815 g
- Calories 728 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil.
- Stir mixture and then let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Add to mixture 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt.
- Mix by hand until all the flour is absorbed and the mixture is smooth.
- Add floor left (preferably 1/4 cup at a time) and mix until it is all absorbed. Dough should be slightly sticky.
- Knead dough on a slightly floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes)
- Add to mixing bowl the rest of the olive oi (1 1/2 teaspoons)
- Place dough in bowl and turn it as to oil all sides.
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and then set it in a warm place, draft free, until it doubles in size. (If unable to find warm place use a cloth dipped in hot water and cover bowl with it making sure that cloth does not touch or drips on dough, then cover with plastic wrap or by putting a plate over cloth).
- While dough rests prepare garnishes (cut mushroom, tomato, slice ham or sausages, etc...) as to be ready when it is time to cook.
- This will make 2 Medium or 1 Large pizza. In case doing 2 medium pizza simply split dough in 2 equal parts.
- Heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Using your hands flatten dough and then push it with the palm of your hands outwards. You can also use a pin roller if you are not used to working dough wit your hands.
- Once your are satisfied with the thickness and shape of your pizza put it in the oven for 5 minutes. This will harden the crust a little so that when you put your sauce and garnish on it will not turn soggy.
- Remove from oven and then spread sauce and garnish on pizza. My order for garnishes goes as follow: - Sauce - Meat (Forget using peperoni... Instead take 2 Italian sausages, or any kind you like, slightly frozen so they do not squish when cutting and cut them in slices... apply in large quantity) - Mushrooms - And any others (ex: green peppers, onions...) - Cheese
- Put pizza back into oven for 10-15 minutes. Make certain to stay close and check regularly as to not have it burn
- After 15 minutes, if the cheese is not turning darker, put the oven to broil so as to melt if fully. Now look at it constantly otherwise it might burn the cheese in the space of 30 seconds.
- Remove from oven and serve while hot.
A properly baked crust yields a shatteringly crisp exterior that immediately gives way to a soft, pliable crumb, filling the room with the distinct toasted-wheat aroma of activated yeast consuming simple carbohydrates. When warm water hitting precisely 120 degrees Fahrenheit meets dry active yeast and sugar, microbial fermentation begins rapidly, producing the carbon dioxide gas bubbles that will eventually create the internal cellular structure of the dough. While kneading stretches the gluten proteins—gliadin and glutenin—into an elastic network capable of trapping those expanding gas bubbles without collapsing, excess flour added too quickly will make the final product dense and heavy rather than light and airy.
Olive oil added to the mixing bowl coats the flour particles, physically interfering with excessive water absorption to keep the crumb tender while promoting browning through surface lipid heat transfer during the bake. Incorporating the remaining flour in quarter-cup increments ensures the hydration level stays manageable, preventing the common pitfall of a stiff, unworkable mass that refuses to stretch properly. Allowing the covered dough to rest in a draft-free environment until it doubles in volume permits the yeast to fully condition the gluten matrix, resulting in a relaxed product that yields readily to the palm of your hand without snapping back stubbornly.
Baking the bare stretched dough for five minutes at 325 degrees creates a protective moisture barrier before wet sauce and toppings are applied, effectively stopping steam from migrating downward and turning the interior soggy. Stacking toppings in a deliberate sequence—sauce first, followed by dense sliced meats like semi-frozen Italian sausage, moisture-releasing vegetables, and finally cheese—protects the underlying crust from direct radiant heat while ensuring each component cooks at an appropriate rate. Because fat content and moisture levels vary among toppings, monitoring the oven closely during the final ten to fifteen minutes prevents over-browning while allowing the starches and proteins to undergo desirable Maillard reactions.
Finishing the bake with a brief application of the broiler delivers intense radiant heat that melts stubborn cheese spots within seconds, though constant visual monitoring is mandatory to avoid burning the delicate dairy proteins. This method maximizes the utility of basic ingredients like all-purpose flour, water, and olive oil, turning low-cost pantry staples into a professional-quality meal through careful attention to thermal dynamics. By understanding how yeast activity, gluten development, and precise oven temperatures interact, home cooks can consistently reproduce pizzeria-quality results without specialized commercial equipment.
