I didn't take very many photos this week. I couldn't help myself though from photographing this pizza. I don't know about you but I've been on this constant search for years for the perfect pizza dough recipe. Although this one may not be perfect, it was pretty darn close. Aside from the fact that we had the wrong yeast (therefore it didn't rise correctly) and that our "oven" is far from normal, it was surprisingly chewy instead of thick and bready, and the perfect thickness. Plus, the toppings I chose were just the icing on the cake. The key? Fresh basil leaves on top of the sauce, fresh tomatoes, diced yellow pepper, and three cheeses (parm, mozzarella, and feta.)
Chewy Pizza Crust
adapted from Emma on the From Scratch blog
(makes two medium pies)
3 cups flour (we used 2 white, one whole wheat)
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Stir together warm water and yeast until dissolved. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour in water/yeast mixture and olive oil, stir until a dough ball forms. Remove dough ball from bowl and knead once or twice (just so it all holds together). Lightly oil the bowl and replace the dough ball inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel and store in a cool dry place for 2 hours. Punch dough down and knead for 2-3 minutes. Put it back in the bowl and allow it to rise again for another hour. On a floured surface roll dough out into a large circle (or you can divide this into two smaller pizza pies). Bake at 350-400 degrees for about 5 minutes. Add toppings and bake again until cheese and crust is golden.
