Today’s freezer stock-up item will take two days to make. It is not that one cannot get the recipe done in one day, it is just that my schedule works better to do it in two separate days. So today I made pizza dough and tomorrow I will be making pizzas for the freezer. I am really excited to add this to the Stockpile because they are relatively easy to make and only take a few minutes in the oven to finish when ready. I am thinking they will be great for lunches at home (either weekday or weekend).
So here is the recipe I have for pizza dough. It is an authentic Italian recipe for dough and I really enjoy it!
Pizza Dough:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (if you would like a crunchier crust, use 1/2 semolina flour, 1/2 all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. honey (or agave nectar, if you prefer)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 c. cold water
- 2 1/4 tsp. (1 – .25oz pkg) active dry yeast
- 1/4 c. warm water (105-115 F)
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
Procedure:
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the 1/4 c. warm water in a non-reactive container (glass/plastic/nylon) and let proof for 10 minutes.
- Place 2 cups of the flour in a large food processor.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine salt, honey, olive oil and cold water. Mix well.
- Start the motor of the food processor and slowly pour the honey mixture through the feed tube. Add the proofed yeast. Process until the dough forms a ball on the blade. If it is sticky, add more flour, 1/4 c. at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Place into a bowl lightly greased with olive oil and turn to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost double in volume, about one hour.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each piece into a smooth, tight ball. Coat with olive oil and place on a sheet pan or dish and cover with a damp towel. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. You can also freeze the dough at this stage (just place the oil coated dough into a plastic bag for freezing).
- Two hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Use the fleshy part of your fingertips to flatten each ball of dough into a circle, about 6 inches in diameter, making the outer edge thicker than the center. Turn the dough over and repeat. Lift the dough from the work surface and gently stretch the edges, working clockwise to form a 7 -8 inch circle. Repeat with the other 3 pieces.
- Sprinkle a wooden peel or baking sheet with a generous amount of cornmeal. Place the circle on the peel or baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Build your pizza as desired.
This seems like a lot more work than it is. It is just that the steps are very specific. As always, I recommend that you read and re-read the recipe BEFORE you start the process. Join me tomorrow when we have all the fun of putting together the pizzas and par-baking them.
