Erik Akis' Pizza
Eric Akis, author of "Everyone Can Cook Everything," shares his straightforward pizza recipe, highlighting ingredient quality and delicious results.
Eric Akis, author of "Everyone Can Cook Everything," shares his straightforward pizza recipe, highlighting ingredient quality and delicious results.
- Carbohydrate 287.49300037324 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 14.8665000112167 g
- Fiber 15.1650002019405 g
- Protein 46.2795000659057 g
- Saturated Fat 2.11836000162511 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1156g)
- Sodium 5962.21183943612 mg
- Sugar 272.328000171299 g
- Trans Fat 1.81810500234437 g
- Calories 1488 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine the water, yeast, sugar and the 3 Tbsp olive oil in a medium to large bowl, or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- If using a stand mixer, add the 3 cups flour and salt and mix on medium speed until a smooth dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing and kneading the dough for about 5 minutes. If mixing the dough by hand, mix 2.5 c of the flour and salt into the yeast/water mixture in the bowl. Mix with a heavy spoon until the dough loosely clumps together. Transfer the dough to a working surface, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Use the remaining 1/2 c of flour to lightly flour the work surface and top of the dough. Knead six to eight minutes, until you have a smooth, but still slightly sticky, dough.
- Once kneaded, place the dough in a deep, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, about 75 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface. (No need to punch it down as it will gently collapse when you move it). To make two thicker-rust pizzas, cut dough into two equal pieces. To make three thinner-crust pizzas, cut the dough into three equal pieces.
- Place each piece on a very lightly oiled 12" pizza pan. Gently press, push and spread each dough until it reaches the edges of the pan. Let the dough rest in the pan a few minutes. If the dough contracts, press on it again until it reaches the outer edges again.
- Sauce and top the pizzas as desired (see note). Place the oven rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Bake the pizzas, one at a time, for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the pizza is puffed and the crust is crisp and golden on the sides and bottoms.
Unlike a heavy deep-dish casserole that requires prolonged baking at moderate heat, this yeasted flatbread relies on a blistering 450 degree F environment to set a crisp exterior quickly. Water temperature dictates the yeast activation rate; lukewarm liquid prevents thermal shock while dissolving the dry granules efficiently. Mixing develops the gluten network, transforming loose flour and water into an elastic matrix capable of trapping fermentation gases.
Accompaniments and Scaling
Acidic greens dressed in sharp vinaigrette cut through the rich crust and cheese toppings effectively. Raw fennel salads tossed with lemon juice provide structural crunch that contrasts against the soft, baked crumb. Portion division depends entirely on personal crust preference: splitting the mass into two portions yields robust, chewy bases, whereas dividing it into three creates thin, cracker-like results.
- Rest the stretched dough briefly on the pan if it snaps back, allowing the gluten strands to relax before final shaping.
- Bake pizzas individually on the lower oven rack to ensure direct bottom heat development.
- Watch for visible puffing and golden sides as indicators of structural doneness.
