June 13, 2010 | Pasta & Pizza, Technique
I made a great discovery today, one I’m sure readers will want in on. A few weeks ago I was tasked with rolling out or stretching out the pizza crusts for a large Operation Frontline event. As I struggled with pulling on that dough, frustrated that it was so tight it kept wanting to shrink back into a ball, I vowed never to roll out a pizza crust again. Well, fast forward, and today I’m prepping the dough for a kids’ pizza cooking class tomorrow. Fortunately, I now have a new secret weapon…
…this yeast from Fleischmann’s is designed especially for making pizza dough. The label provides a recipe that I tweaked, but the real draw is that it advertises a less elastic dough that’s easier to work with – and it absolutely is!
Start by putting 3 cups of flour into a large bowl.
Add the yeast, along with some sugar and salt and stir these ingredients together to mix well.
Pour in warm water and olive oil and stir together until all of the flour is wet.
Add more flour and continue to stir with a spoon until it is sort of coming together like this, but still sticky.
Ditch the spoon and continue to add flour a little bit at a time while you knead the dough. Each time it gets a little sticky sprinkle on a little flour and knead for 5 minutes.
Turn that lovely ball of dough out onto a floured board and use a pastry cutter to slice into 4 pieces. You can use the dough right away, refrigerate for use later, or freeze it. Check back tomorrow to see what kinds of pizzas the kids make – they just might inspire you!
Easy Pizza Dough
Yields dough for four 12-inch pizzas4 1/2 cups flour, plus more for kneading
3 packages Fleischman’s yeast for pizza dough
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups very warm water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oilIn a large bowl combine 3 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt; stir together. Add water and olive oil and stir together using a large metal spoon. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour a little at a time, using a spoon to combine until you finally use your hands to mix the last bit of flour in. Start kneading the dough, adding a sprinkle of flour on it every time it feels sticky, and continue to knead for 5 minutes. When you have a smooth ball of dough, turn onto a floured board and use a pastry cutter to divide it into 4 balls. Dough may be used right away or saved for later. To refrigerate or freeze, spray the inside of a food safe plastic bag with cooking spray then place the ball of dough inside. Seal allowing room for the dough to rise. To use frozen dough, thaw in the refrigerator.
my mother and i loves to do cooking and baking;-,
me and my husband loves cooking and we love to taste lots of food stuffs too.’:
cooking is my passion and a hobby for me, besides, i love to eat lots of foods ;.-