Best Perfect Pizza Recipes

PERFECT PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, 1 cup bread flour and the whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining bread flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Preheat oven to 425°. Punch dough down; roll into a 15-in. circle. Grease a 14-in. pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer dough to prepared pan; build up edges slightly. Add toppings of your choice. , Bake until crust is golden brown and toppings are lightly browned and heated through, 20-25 minutes.

PERFECT PIZZERIA PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes. ( Make sure it foams. If it doesn't foam, your yeast may be outdated.)
• 2. In bowl of food processor fitted with large blade, combine flour and salt. Pulse 3-4 times. With motor running (on dough setting, if you have one) slowly add yeast mixture, allowing each addition to mix before adding the next. Continue processing until dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl. After the ball forms and cleans the sides, process for a few more minutes. If dough seems dry, add warm water 1/2 TB. at a time until a ball forms. If it's too wet (ball of dough doesn't form) add flour 1/2 TB. at a time. You will know you have the right consistency when the dough ball forms, the dough ball cleans the sides of the bowl and the dough is as smooth as a baby's bottom. =) If it's not a really smooth dough ball, return it to the bowl and follow instructions for too wet or too dry above.
• 3. Coat inside of large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl. Turn once to coat and cover with sprayed saran wrap. Set in warm place and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
• 4. After 1 1/2 hours, your beautiful dough is ready to be placed on a 16 inch pizza pan oiled with 1 TB. of olive oil. (Can sprinkle with yellow corn meal, if you wish.) Press evenly to sides of pan. Don't leave the dough too thick. Add your desired toppings and bake at 400 degrees. No par-baking required. The photo at left is my BLT Pizza... Perfect crust every time!
• 5. *** I like to warm a few TB. of olive oil with a halved garlic clove in the micro until very warm and then brush this on the crust right when it comes out of the oven. Yum!
• 6. ~Just A Few Tips On Yeast Doughs~ ( ...or why it took me so many years of making bad pizza dough. lol) I sure can't speak for everyone, but I made some kind of dumb mistakes (...over and over) when attempting yeast doughs. Let me go over a few so that it won't take you as long to figure it out as me. I am by no means an expert yeast bread maker. There are many outstanding cooks on here who could run circles 'round me. But, I was making some very common, newbie mistakes and it took me awhile to get my act together. So here goes... * Water temp is very important! Too hot or too cold and your dough will not rise and your pizza crust will be hard and chewy. Think very warm bath water. * YES, you do have to proof your yeast. Always. lol Give those little guys a warm bath with a little sugar and you will "wake them up" so that they are ready to get to work on your dough. If it bubbles, your yeast is happy as can be and ready to get to work. No bubbles? Stop right there. Your yeast is either old, or your water temp is off. Buy fresh yeast for the best result. (Throw out the stuff from 3 Christmases ago!) * Use Red Star "Quick-Rise" Yeast. It's wonderful and forgiving if your water temp is too high, another of my newbie mistakes. Not a paid spokesperson and I own no stock in the company (...but I wish I did. Red Star... Give me a call and we'll talk... lol.) * Allow enough time for the dough to rise! If the recipe says rise for 1 hour, it means 1 hour... not 30, 35, 40 minutes. If you don't have time to let it rise, but figure it will be okay anyway, it won't. Save the recipe for another day. * Use the right size pan. If the dough is for a 16 inch pan and you use a 12 inch pan and figure that it's fine... nope. Smaller the pan, thicker the dough. Thick dough equals "bready" crust. Too thin it can be too thin to hold up and may burn. Just like The Three Bears... not too thick and not too thin. Medium is just right. Happy Pizza Making! Peg =)

EMERIL LAGASSE'S PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• In the bowl of your heavy-duty mixer (like a Kenwood or KitchenAid), stir together the water, yeast and sugar; let sit until the mixture is foamy, which takes about 5 minutes.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the oil and salt into the yeast mixture and, using the paddle attachment (also known as the K beater), combine until mixture is smooth.
• Switch to the dough hook.
• With the machine running at low, add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time; make sure each addition of flour is incorporated before adding the next.
• Once all the flour has been added, turn up the speed and let the machine knead the dough for about 3 minutes; it should be very smooth and perhaps a bit tacky.
• Feel free to add an extra minute or two of kneading if you wish; it won't hurt the dough at all.
• Rub the insides of a large mixing bowl with a little olive oil; remove dough from machine, form into a ball, and place into oiled bowl, turning dough over to make sure all sides are oiled.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area to rise; the dough should nearly double in size, which will take about 60 to 90 minutes.
• An old habit of mine is to place a towel around the bowl, just to make sure no drafts get to the dough.
• When dough is ready, lightly punch it down and knead it a bit, still right in the bowl.
• Lightly flour your work surface and place dough ball on it; let it rest for 10 minutes.
• This makes one large pizza; if you prefer two smaller pizzas, cut dough in half, then form into two balls and let rest, as above.
• After dough has rested, form into a 16-inch round (or two 8-inch rounds) and you're ready to make pizza, using your favourite toppings.
• The biggest trick here, when stretching out the dough, is not to get frustrated; if you find you're stretching the pizza and it's resisting and is too elastic, bouncing right back from each stretch, just walk away for a few minutes; after you let the pizza rest again, you'll find the dough will let you stretch it out.
• You might even want to try flipping it into the air a bit!
• Warning: let it come down on your knuckles, not your fingertips, or you'll tear the dough!
• The best way to bake your prepared pizza is on a baking stone (or you can use a pizza pan, if you don't have a stone) on your lowest oven rack; Emeril suggests 8 to 10 minutes at 475F, but a little lower temperature for a little longer works just fine too.

PIZZERIA PERFECT BLT PIZZA- MY OWN RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare dough and let rise as per instructions. (This dough is very easy to make without the mess of having to knead it. Great, easy recipe.)
• 2. Prepare sauce by mixing all ingredients thoroughly. Halve grape tomatoes and shred lettuce. Let come up to room temp. Reserve 1/2 cup grape tomatoes to top cooked pizza.
• 3. Cut bacon in 1 1/2 inch chunks and fry until just before crisp, as you are going to be heating this one more time. Drain on paper towels. When the drippings have cooled slightly, add 1 tsp. drippings to sauce. Reserve an additional 1 TB. drippings.
• 4. When dough is ready, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use reserved 1 TB. bacon drippings to oil the pan in place of the olive oil that you may ordinarily use. (This little trick brings the smokey flavor of a BLT from the top of the pizza to the bottom.) Sprinkle with corn meal, if using. Spread out pizza dough with your hands.
• 5. Top with sauce, then 1/2 of bacon, then cheddar and mozzarella, then 1 cup halved grape tomatoes, cut side up. (This keeps the juice in the skin instead of on the pizza.) Remember to reserve 1/2 cup grape tomatoes.
• 6. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until done. (Optional tip: When I take my pizzas out of the oven, I combine a halved garlic clove and a few tablespoons of olive oil, microwave until warm and then brush on hot crust.) Add shredded lettuce, other half of bacon (warm in the micro for a few seconds) and reserved 1/2 cup tomatoes.
• 7. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and or red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!

PERFECT-EVERY-TIME PIZZA DOUGH AND PEPPERONI PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a large bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, olive oil and salt until the salt dissolves. Let this mixture rest for about 10 to 20 minutes, until slightly foamy.
• Transfer the yeast and water mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer, making sure to scrape all the yeast into the bowl. Add the flours to the mixing bowl. Attach a dough hook and knead on medium speed for about 4 minutes. The mixture will come together into a ball that pulls away from the sides.
• Transfer the dough ball to a clean area to knead. Flour the station and knead well for about 2 minutes. Cut the ball in half and shape each into round balls. Place each ball in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let rise in the fridge overnight. This overnight fermentation will give the dough a pleasant sourness. You can do this on the counter in an hour or two, but you won't have the same flavor from a slow rise.
• Make the pizza: Place a pizza steel or stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to its highest setting. Let the oven heat up for at least 45 minutes.
• Dust the surface of a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet with flour or cornmeal. Stretch one ball of dough out into a 12-inch (30.5-cm) round and place on the peel or baking sheet. Place half the sauce in the center of the stretched dough and spread it out evenly with a spoon. You want to cover all but 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) of the edge.
• Drizzle the pizza with a tiny bit of olive oil. Rain half the mozzarella over the pizza. Place half the pepperoni on the pizza in an even pattern. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan and half the dried oregano.
• Slide the pizza onto the heated steel or stone in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 4 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 2 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Meanwhile, repeat with the remaining dough ball and pizza ingredients to make a second pizza.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the temperature gets to about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), stir in the garlic and the anchovies and sizzle for about 30 seconds.
• Pour in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Lower the heat if the sauce starts to boil. Stir in the oregano, salt, pepper and sugar, if using, and cook for an additional minute. Remove the sauce from the heat and use immediately or store in airtight containers or even resealable plastic bags in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Place the sugar, salt, 1 TBSP olive oil, water, 1 cup flour, yeast, and remaining cup of flour into your mixer's work bowl.
• Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer on low and mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball.
• Spray your hook attachment with cooking spray and swap it out with the paddle.
• Knead dough for 15 minutes on medium speed.
• After 15 minutes, tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disc.
• Stretch the dough until thin, hold it up to the light, and look to see if a taut membrane has formed (also called a baker's window), you should be able to see a webbing of membranes and nearly be able to see through the dough.
• If the dough tears before it forms, if you aren't able to pull it thin to almost see through before it rips, knead the dough for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• Form the dough into a smooth ball on the countertop, sealing it unto itself.
• Place the dough ball in a large stainless or glass bowl and add 2 tsp olive oil, tossing to coat.
• Cover with plastic wrap (doesn't have to be a perfect seal) and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• Place pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven (or if your heating element is on the bottom of your oven, simply place stone onto the lowest position oven rack) and turn the oven on to its highest temperature, 500° or mine goes to 550°.
• Split the dough into 2 equal pieces using a knife or dough scraper.
• Flatten each piece into a disc onto the countertop and then fold each piece into a ball.
• Wet hands barely with water and rub them onto the countertop to dampen the surface slightly to make it 'sticky', roll the dough on the surface until it tightens into a smooth ball.
• Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• If you won't be immediately using the second ball of dough, spray the inside of a ziplock bag and place the dough ball into the bag.
• Seal and refrigerate for up to 6 days.
• Sprinkle flour or cornmeal onto peel and place dough onto the peel.
• Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza.
• Stretch the dough into a round disc, holding the center with one hand and gently pulling the edges outward with the other hand, rotating after each stretch, try tossing if you're up for it, but do not use a rolling pin!
• Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it will slide onto the pizza stone or tile.
• Dress and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the stretched dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.
• To dress the pizza, brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil.
• Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the pizza.
• Sprinkle the herbs onto the sauce and then any toppings you might want.
• Top with cheese.
• Slide the pizza onto the tile and bake for 7 or 8 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown, checking the underside for doneness before removing.
• Rest finished pizza for 3 minutes before cutting.

PERFECT PARMESAN PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix 4 cups flour, Parmesan, yeast and salt in large bowl. Add water and oil; stir until mixture forms soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface 5 min. or until smooth and elastic, gradually adding remaining flour.
• Cut dough into 4 pieces. (Each piece is enough for a 12-inch pizza.) Spray each piece with cooking spray. If using immediately, cover desired number of dough pieces loosely with plastic wrap; let stand 15 min.
• Place each remaining dough piece in separate resealable freezer-weight plastic bag that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Seal bags; refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months.

PERFECT CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• 24 Hours Prior to Baking: In a mixing bowl, add the water, sugar, yeast, flour, cornmeal, and salt.
• Mix on low speed for a few minutes until the dough comes together, then slowly add the oil. Continue to mix dough for 7 more minutes.
• The dough should be somewhat moist and smooth, but not sticky. Form the dough into a ball and place into a bowl twice the size of the ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then put a dish towel over it and place in the refrigerator for 24hrs.
• Remove the bowl from the refrigerator about one hour prior to making the pizza. Set the bottom oven rack to its lowest position and preheat the oven to 450° F for at least 30 minutes prior to baking.
• After letting the dough rest for one hour, coat the bottom of a well seasoned 15" × 2" deep cast iron skillet with a light layer of canola/vegetable oil (do not use olive oil).
• Place the dough ball in the center of the pan and press it out until it covers the entire bottom. Then, using you fingers, work the dough up the sides of the pan about 1 1/2 inches.
• The top of the edges should be pinched up against the side of the pan. If the dough resists holding shape, cover with a towel and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before trying again.
• Using sliced mozzarella (NOT fresh, only low-moisture), or a blend of sliced mozzarella and provolone, cover the bottom of the dough with cheese.
• Add your desired toppings (Italian sausage is very popular). If you are going to use pepperonis, it is recommended to chop them into 1/4's before layering them in the pizza.
• Top with 1 LARGE can of crushed tomatoes, no seasoning added. Use your hands if necessary to spread out the tomatoes. **Note that 6 IN 1 brand tomatoes are very fresh tasting, as are Bianco DiNapoli if you can find then at a store near you**.
• Finish topping with Italian herbs/seasonings (chopped fresh basil and dried oregano flakes are favorites) and finally with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
• Place the pan in the center of the bottom oven rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once half way through, until the crust is golden brown.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and allow to cool for about 3 minutes.
• Remove the pizza from the baking pan and place on a cutting board or serving pan. Slice and serve.

THE ART OF MAKING THE PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Make the dough and let it rise:.
• Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until surface appears creamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture does not appear creamy, discard and start over with new yeast.).
• Stir together 1 1/4 cups flour and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, oil and remaining 1/2 cup warm water and stir until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour (about 1/2 cup) so dough comes away from sides of bowl. (The dough will be wetter than pizza dough you may have made.).
• Knead dough on dry surface with lightly floured hands (reflour hands when dough becomes too sticky) until smooth, soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form into 1 ball if baking pizza or 2 balls if grilling, put on a lightly floured surface, and generously dust with flour.
• Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 hours.
• To shape the dough for baking:.
• DO NOT PUNCH DOWN DOUGH. Carefully dredge dough in a bowl of flour to coat and transfer to dry work surface. Holding one edge of dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch work surface, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 10 inches.
• Lay dough flat on lightly floured work surface and continue to work edges with fingers, stretching it into a 14-inch round.
• To shape dough for grilling:.
• DO NOT PUNCH DOWN DOUGH. Carefully dredge 1 ball of dough in a bowl of flour to coat and transfer to dry work surface. Holding one edge of dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch work surface, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 7 inches. Lay dough flat on lightly floured work surface and continue to work edges with fingers, stretching it into a 9-inch round. Transfer to a floured tray. Repeat procedure with remaining ball of dough. Lightly dust a piece of plastic wrap with flour and invert loosely over pizza rounds. Allow dough to stand for 10 to 20 minutes before grilling.(dough will be slightly puffy).
• Note: The dough can be allowed to rise, covered and refrigerated in a covered bowl for up to one day. Bring to room temperature before shaping. REMEMBER (repeat after me :=) DO NOT PUNCH DOWN!
• Assemble and bake the pizza according to your favorite recipe.
• It can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw and bring to room temperature, but remember, Do Not Punch Down!

PERFECT PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 500 degrees, with a 16-inch diameter pizza stone placed on lowest shelf position, for at least 30 minutes.
• Pour warm water into a small bowl. Add sugar, and sprinkle in yeast. Using a fork, stir the mixture until yeast is dissolved and water has turned a tan color. Let yeast stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a food processor, use blade to combine the 2 3/4 cups flour and salt, and pulse three to four times. Add yeast mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed until dough is smooth, not tacky, when squeezed. Transfer to clean surface; knead four or five turns into a ball.
• Brush the inside of a medium bowl with olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl, smooth side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and press your fist into the center of the dough to punch it down. Fold the dough back onto itself four or five times. Turn dough over, folded-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the warm spot to rise again until the dough has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Punch down the dough, and transfer to a clean surface. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough in half, and knead each half four or five turns into a ball. Place one of the dough balls back in the oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Lightly flour a clean surface, place the remaining dough ball on top, pat into a flattened circle, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes. Using your fingers, begin to flatten and push the dough evenly out from the center until it measures about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Do not press the dough all the way to the edges. Leave a slightly raised border, about a half-inch wide, around entire circumference of pizza dough.
• Sprinkle cornmeal all over the surface of a pizza peel, and set aside. Lift the dough off the surface, and center it on top of your fists. Hold your fists about 1 to 2 inches apart. Begin to rotate and stretch the dough, moving your fists until they are 6 to 8 inches apart and the dough is several inches larger. Then place your fists under the inside of the outer edge, and continue to stretch the dough a little at a time until it reaches about 12 inches in diameter. The dough will drape down over your forearms. At this stage, it is important to keep your fists along the inside of the outer edge and watch that the dough does not get too thin or tear in the center. At the same time, make sure to maintain the slightly raised border on the edges. The dough is surprisingly resilient and will not tear if this step is done carefully and slowly.
• Arrange the pizza dough into a circle on top of the cornmeal-dusted peel. Leaving the raised edge uncovered, pour 9 tablespoons of the pizza sauce onto the dough. Using the back of a tablespoon, evenly spread the sauce leaving a half-inch border of dough uncovered. Arrange half of the mozzarella slices on top of the sauce.
• Lift the pizza peel and, using a slight jerking motion, slide the pizza about one inch back and forth on the peel to loosen it. Slightly tilt the peel, and place the front tip of peel on the back side of the stone. Slide the pizza off the peel, centering it on the stone. Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp on the edges and the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes, turning the pizza halfway through baking. While first pizza is baking, shape and assemble a second pizza using remaining dough. Using tongs, lift the edge of the first pizza, and slide the peel all the way under to remove it from the oven. Using a pizza wheel, slice the pizza into eight pieces, and serve immediately.

ALTON BROWN'S PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Scale the dry ingredients together and place all the dry ingredients in the work bowl of your stand mixer. Scale the liquids into a measuring cup then add to the dry ingredients. Install the bowl on the mixer and attach the dough hook and turn the mixer to "stir." Mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium (4 on a Kitchen Aid) and knead for 5 minutes. Remove the dough to a lightly floured countertop and smooth into a ball. Spray a mixing bowl (or the mixer's work bowl) with no-stick spray or rub with the oil. Place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours. Remove dough to counter and punch down into a rough rectangle shape then tightly roll into a log 12-15 inches in length. Split the dough into 3 equal parts using the scraper or either a large serrated knife or a dough scraper. Flatten each into a disk, then shape it into a smooth ball by folding the edges of the round in toward the center several times and rolling it between your hands on the counter. You may want to moisten the counter with water to up the surface tension a bit so that the ball tightens up instead of sliding across the counter. Cover each ball with a clean tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes. (At this point you can also transfer doughs to air-tight plastic containers and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Just make sure you bring them to room temp for half an hour before forming.) To bake, heat oven (pizza stone inside on lower rack) to 500 degrees F, or hotter if possible. Give the oven a good half hour to heat up. When you're ready to build the pizzas, sprinkle a couple teaspoons of flour on a peel and place the dough right in the middle. Pound the dough into a disk with your hands, then pick it up and pull it through your fingers to create the outer lip, a critical feature that cannot be created with a rolling pin. (In fact, rolling rather than stretching will just ruin the whole gosh-darned thing.) At this point you need to start stretching the dough. The most-efficient way to do this is to spin the dough so that the weight of the outer lip stretches the dough via centrifugal force. You can also stretch the dough on the board by turning and pulling it, and turning and pulling. Shake the peel from time to time to make sure the dough doesn't stick. Sticking would be bad. Brush the lip with oil, then dress the pizza with olive oil and tomato sauce. Even distribution is tricky, so you may want to ladle an ounce or two into the middle and then spread it out with the back of the ladle. Top with fresh herbs (oregano and basil) and a good melting cheese. I usually go with a mixture of mozzarella, Monterery Jack and provolone, but that's me. Slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone. To do this, position the front edge of the peel about 1-inch from the back of the stone. Lift the handle and jiggle gently until the pizza slides forward. As soon as the dough touches the stone, start pulling the peel back toward you while still jiggling. While a couple of inches of dough are on the stone, quickly snap the peel straight back. As long as the dough isn't stuck on the peel, it will park itself nicely on the stone. Keep an eye on the dough for the first 3 to 4 minutes. If any big bubbles start ballooning up, reach in with a paring knife or fork and pop them. Bake for 7 minutes or until the top is bubbly. Then slide the peel under and lift to check the underside, which should be nicely brown. Slide the peel under the pizza and remove to the counter or a cutting board. Let it rest for at least 2 minutes before slicing with a chef's knife or pizza cutter (one of my favorite multitaskers).

BETH'S PERFECT AND EASY HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water.
• Combine flour and salt in large mixing bowl.
• Make a well in center of flour and with your hands, work in 1/2 of the yeast mixture.
• Add olive oil and then continue to work in the rest of the yeast mixture.
• Add 1 tablespoon of water if necessary to make dough soft and smooth.
• Turn dough onto flat surface and knead for 10 minutes.
• Oil a large mixing bowl and place dough in it, turning on dough over to get oil on all sides.
• Cover with damp towel and let rise for 1 hour.
• Preheat pizza stone in oven at 500 degrees.
• Divide pizza dough in half. Roll out each half into 12-14" circles making crusts about 1/8" thick.
• Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cornmeal onto pizza peal. Place 1 pizza crust on pizza peal and lightly brush with olive oil. Add all ingredients you want on your pizza.
• Slide pizza from peel onto preheated pizza stone in the oven. Cook until crust is crisp and golden, about 15-20 minutes.
• DOUGH CAN BE FROZEN: After rising, shape dough into 2 balls a, wrap and freeze. To use, thaw at room temperature and roll out as described.

PERFECT PEPPERONI PIZZA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 460 degrees.
• Put one of the crusts on the pizza stone in the oven for 4 minutes then remove.
• On pizza crust, apply 4 oz. of sauce (or how much you want) then add desired amount of pepperoni, and then top with the desired amount of cheese which I add about 4oz or so.
• Return to pizza to the oven on the stone and bake about 10 minutes or until cheese is all melted.
• Cut into squares and serve.

PERFECT PRONTO PIZZA

Steps:

• Roll dough into a 13-in. circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 5-10 minutes. , In a bowl, combine the tomato paste, water, garlic powder, oregano and rosemary. Spread over crust. Top with beef and cheeses. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until the crust is golden and cheese is melted.

PERFECT PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast, brown sugar in warm water; allow to sit for 10 minutes.
• Stir in salt and olive oil.
• Mix in 3 cups of flour or enough to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and knead in more flour until dough is barely sticky to the touch.
• Place dough into a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• Let dough rise until doubled, punch down and form into a tight ball. Allow dough to relax for 5 minutes prior to stretching and rolling into desired shapes.
• Brush lightly with olive oil, pierce with a fork all over dough and par bake crust at 425 for 5 minutes.
• Add desired toppings and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until desired level of doness is reached.
• Allow to cool for 4-5 minutes prior to cutting to allow cheese to set.

PERFECT PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• 1. I highly recommend cooking by weight. It is fast, and easy to get the exact hydration (water to flour ratio) and dough ball size you want. Personally, I do not use recipes or a mixing cup when I cook dinner for the family, but pizza and bread dough is different. Being exact counts, and nothing works better than a digital scale.
• 2. Add all ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix the dough in a stand mixer, by hand or in a bread machine. If you are using a stand mixer, mix it slowly for two minutes, faster for 5 minutes, and slow again for 2 minutes.
• 3. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until double. Punch it down and push out the air bubbles.
• 4. Form the dough into a large ball, then cut it into 5 ½ ounce pieces.
• 5. To make your pizza balls, shape each piece of dough into a ball. Gently roll your dough into a ball, then stretch the top of the ball down and around the rest of the ball, until the outer layer wraps around the other side. Pinch the two ends together to make a smooth ball with a tight outer "skin." Set your ball seam-side down where it can rest. Dust your pizza balls with flour, and store them under a damp towel, in a proofing tray, or under plastic wrap. This will prevent the outside of the ball from drying out and creating a crust, and becoming difficult to work with. The top of the pizza ball should be soft and silky.
• 6. Your pizza balls will need to rest for about an hour to become soft and elastic, so that they can be easily stretched into a thin crust pizza. If you won't need your dough for more than an hour, refrigerate it until you are ready to start.
• 7. While your oven is heating (set it on the highest setting usually between 500 - 550F), you have time to collect and prepare your food for cooking. You will need: · Fresh Mozzarella · Tomato Sauce (try Canned whole Italian San Marzano Tomatoes 2 tablespoons of good olive oil and 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, blend DO NOT COOK!!) · Olive Oil · Fresh Basil
• 8. Assembling Your Pizza Dust your hands with flour, and take a Pizza Ball. Flip it over so that the soft bottom side faces up, gently shape the ball into a flat disk, and then start pulling, stretching and turning the disk in the air to make the dough thinner and thinner. Try to keep working in a circle to keep the thickness of the dough consistent, avoiding thick and thin spots. At the point where can cannot get the dough thinner without making a hole, put your pizza on a floured work surface, and use your fingertips to work out the thick spots by pushing the dough to the outside. We try to make our pizzas about as thick as a credit card and about 10" in diameter. Remember that the more you handle the dough, the tougher it becomes. We don't recommend using a rolling pin, which is hard on the dough and will give you a thin, but tough pizza. Try to shape your dough in the air as much as possible, before you lay it on the counter -- it will enjoy not being over-handled, and will reward you with a pizza that is both crisp and delicate. Also, don't worry if your pizza is not round. We know a professional chef and bakery owner who loves to make his pizzas "football" shaped. He is so gentle with the dough and creative with his ingredients that his non-round pizzas are among the best we have ever tasted. You can assemble your pizza either on a solid surface, then transfer it to a metal pizza peel for cooking; or you can assemble your pizzas on short wooden peels, which you can use to place the pizza in the oven. Most kitchens do not have wood or metal peels a cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal works just fine.
• 9. Cooking Your Pizza Your oven is up to temp 500F ; you have assembled your first pizza, and you are ready to go. Test to make sure you pizza is not stuck on your peel by moving your peel forward and backward using short jerks - it should slide easily around. If it does stick, lift it up on one side using your fingers, and throw a little corn meal underneath. Slide your peel back and forth, and that should loosen it up. If your pizzas consistently stick to the peel, use a more corn meal underneath your pizza dough before you start decorating. Also, if you have a group of people assembling pizzas, and one sits for a while before you place it in the oven, there is a large chance it will stick. Choose a spot roughly centered in your oven and slide your pizza to that spot. The best way to place your pizza is to push your peel toward your spot, then stop it short just short the spot, allowing the pizza to slide off the peel. Pull the peel backward as the pizza slides forward. The perfect pizza is bubbling on top with completely melted (and possibly slightly browned) cheese, has a brown outer crust, The crust is crunchy on the outside and soft and delicate on the inside. Everything is steaming hot. Throw on some fresh basil, use a pizza cutting wheel to cut your pizza into pieces and you have done it.

PERFECT EVERY TIME PIZZA OR CALZONE DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 cup lukewarm water and yeast together in a bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Combine 1/2 cup water, olive oil, honey, and salt in a separate bowl; add 1 cup flour and mix well. Mix yeast mixture into flour mixture. Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is well combined.
• Knead dough on a floured work surface until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic, about 8 minutes. Roll dough into 4 calzone shapes.

PERFECT YEAST-FREE PIZZA DOUGH IN A HURRY (FROM SCRATCH)

Steps:

• In a bowl combine flour, water, oil and herbs. Using your hands knead into a soft dough (this will take some time).
• Roll out on a lightly floured surface and transfer to a paper-lined baking sheet. Prick with a fork and top with sauce and topping of your choice.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C for about 10-15 minutes (depending on topping and thickness of your dough).

TOMMY'S PERFECT PIZZA

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine hot water, yeast, and sugar. Stir with a fork and let sit 4 minutes until foamy. Add salt, vanilla, olive oil, and flour. Stir as well as you can with a wooden spoon, then transfer to a large, flour dusted working surface. Knead the dough by hand, adding a dusting of flour if too sticky. (A good trick is to fold in half left to right, then right to left, then top to bottom, then repeat) Roll out the dough with a roller to fit your pizza pan. Personally, I roll it out a little larger, then using the pizza pan as a guide, I cut the excess off and then roll it to form a higher edge. For the sauce, combine all ingredients, mix with a fork, and pour on the dough! Add 1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese and toppings of choice and cook at 475 for 13 to 20 minutes.

HAILE THOMAS'S "PERFECT PESTO PIZZA WITH SWEET POTATO CRUST" RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a 17-inch round or a 18x26-inch (45x66-cm) rectangular metal tray with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, mix together the flaxseed and water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potato, almond flour, flax egg, salt, pepper, dried rosemary, and additional flaxseed. The mixture will be thick and pasty.
• Spread the mixture onto the tray and flatten slightly. Place the sweet potato crust in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden.
• While the crust is baking, prepare the pesto. Add cashews, pistachios, fresh basil, cilantro, spinach, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, and olive oil to a food processor and process until mostly smooth with a bit of texture.
• When the pizza crust is done baking, spread the pesto on top, then cover with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions.
• Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• Top with arugala.
• Enjoy!