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 If it doesn't foam, your yeast may be outdated.)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 =)