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To make great-tasting homemade pizza, you
need to make great-tasting pizza dough! You can use any pizza dough recipe you find,
or you can use one as illustrated here.
You'll need:
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- Yeast
- Oil
- Sugar
- Salt
- Regular Flour
- Bread Flour
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Start by combining warm water, yeast, and
one teaspoon of sugar.
Allow this to "proof" (that is, allow time for the yeast
to activate).
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After proofing, add in Jan's Dough Sourdough
Starter, salt, sugar, and oil.
Stir well.
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Stir in regular flour, and then bread flour.
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Stir until all flour has been mixed in.
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Knead pizza dough. The process for kneading
pizza dough is the same as kneading bread dough.
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Knead until the pizza dough is smooth and
dry. You should not have to knead in too much extra flour so that the dough will
be "dry" to the touch.
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Begin to roll out the pizza dough. I find
that it is easier to use a rolling pin than to attempt to shape it with your hands.
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Roll until the dough is about 1-1/2" larger
in diameter than your pizza pan (for a large pizza).
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Lay one edge of the rolled-out pizza dough
over the rolling pin to help you put it in the pizza pan.
After using several types of pizza pans, I've found this
non-stick pan, with holes in it, to be the best.
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Create the pizza crust by allowing the
edges of the rolled-out dough to line up around the edge of the pan. If you prefer
a crustless pizza, the run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the pan and cut
away the excess dough.
Don't throw that dough out! Cut in small pieces and bake
on a greased cookie sheet. Serve with warmed pizza sauce. This is a great appetizer!
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The real secret to making a great homemade
pizza is to pre-bake the pizza crust for about 7 minutes.
After 3-4 minutes, turn the crust in the oven so that
it bakes evenly.
Don't pre-bake too long or the crust will overcook and
puff up (from the steam created in between the bottom and the top of the crust dough.
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When the crust is pre-baked (the edges
should be only very lightly browned, begin to "build" the pizza with sauce and your
preferred toppings.
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Spread the sauce evenly so that it completely
covers the crust. Use sauce sparingly is you prefer a dry pizza or pour it on thick
if you enjoy a really saucy pizza.
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Layer on pepperoni, onions and pepper (pre-cooked
if you don't like the onion and pepper to be "crunchy"), sausage, olives, and any
other topping you enjoy.
However, do not put on the cheese at this point.
This will prevent the cheese from burning.
If you are making a Hawaiian pizza, you might prefer
to withhold the pineapple at this point as well.
Put the pizza in the oven and bake for about 13 minutes.
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While the pizza is baking, sprinkle a pizza
stone with cornmeal. If you aren't using a pizza stone, then you can sprinkle the
cornmeal into another pizza pan (that doesn't have holes in it!).
When the pizza is done baking, you'll be sliding the
pizza crust bottom onto this stone. The cornmeal will prevent the bottom of the
crust from being soggy.
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After 13 minutes, take the pizza out of
the oven. Add the cheese (and pineapple or any other very perishable topping).
Bake for about 3 minutes to melt the cheese.
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Slide the baked pizza onto the cornmeal
coated pizza stone. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.
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Cut with a pizza cutter...
...and enjoy!
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