The last time I made pizza crust I said I’d have to try again with bread flour. The higher gluten content is supposed to make dough more stretchy and chewy, both good things when you’re trying to stretch out a pizza crust without tearing it.
Well, I got the bread flour, and it’s true. It makes a huge difference. Check out the comparison photos at the bottom if you don’t believe me.
Ingredients
1 cup each white flour and (high gluten) bread flour, sifted
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one package)
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
¾ cup warm water (105° – 115°)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Most yeast dough starts out the same way, proofing the yeast. Combine the yeast, warm water to activate it, sugar to feed it, and half the flour so you can see for sure when it’s working.
I added half the water before sifting in the white flour, and the other half after, just in case the water was too hot. You don’t want to kill the yeast. Then stir it and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
These next two photos are taken 17 minutes apart, and no new ingredients have been added. The extra volume you see is entirely from the yeast consuming the sugar and giving off gas, causing the flour mixture to rise.
Once the yeast is going strong, sift in the rest of the flour, and add the salt and olive oil. Mix everything together. You want it wet enough to pick up all the flour, but not so wet that it’s sticky or slippery.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until it is smooth and satiny.
Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl, add the dough, and roll it around to make sure all surfaces are oiled. This is so a skin doesn’t form on the dough, which would keep it from rising. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet towel. More insurance against drying out.
Leave the bowl in a warm place until the dough has risen to double its original volume, about an hour to an hour-and-a-half. Then punch it down to deflate it most of the way.
Flour your work surface again, and turn the dough out. Press it out into a circle with your fingertips and flour the top of the dough.
Using the edges of your hands, spread the dough out into a circle about 16-18 inches across. This part is easier to show than to describe, so here’s the video I shot last time showing how to spread the dough out without being an expert pizza tosser. (If you can’t see the video in email, view this post at the blog.)
Remember up top when I said the high gluten bread flour makes a huge difference? Here’s the crust I made last time.
And here’s the one with the bread flour.
I’ll be getting myself a large sack of this stuff next time I make a trip to my supplier.
What are your secrets to a perfect pizza crust? Let me know in the comments below.
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Want more like this? For more recipes like this, that you can hold right in your hands, and write on, take notes, tear pages out if you want (Gosh, you're tough on books, aren't you?) you might be interested in How To Cook Like Your Grandmother, 2nd edition, Illustrated. Or to learn your way around the kitchen, check out Starting From Scratch: The Owner's Manual for Your Kitchen.
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21 Comments
I use a mixer to mix the dough and knead it until everything comes together. Then I knead it by hand. Goes so much easier when I roll out the crust to fit my pans. No round pans here so I use my cookie sheets.
I made up this recipe. It’s very strange for pizza dough, but so far I like it best for homemade pizza. It’s thick and chewy and has a really nice texture. It’s sort of based on the stored wet dough method.
I use a pizza stone, but you can do in on a cookie sheet too.
I make dough in large quantities – I’m not sure how much this makes,
but if you have leftovers, you can always just make more pizza later in the
week.
mix in large container:
1 1/2 TBSP yeast
1 1/2 TBSP salt
3 cups lukewarm water
1 TBSP honey
add:
1 cup oatmeal that has been ground up a little in the food processor
1/2 cup oatbran
5 cups white flour (you can try subbing in some whole wheat if you like, white whole wheat works nicely)
mix it all together. it will be lumpy and wet and gloopy.
cover with a damp dishtowel and let rise for 2-3 hours. You can use
it right away or keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week or two.
Heat your oven as high as it will go with the pizza stone in it.
Turn your smoke alarm off.
Put a good amount of cornmeal on your pizza peel.
Put a little flour on the top of the dough and on your hands to take
out a chunk.
Shape the dough as much as you can in your hands – add some flour, but
it’s going to be sticky.
Lay it out on the pizza peel and stretch it out a little more if you
need to. Don’t try to make it very thin.
You may get some holes, just patch them with extra dough.
Try not to leave it on the peel any longer than you need to or it may
be hard to slide off. You can always pull up the edges and put a
little more cornmeal underneath if it’s sticking.
Put your toppings on and then slide it onto the pizza stone.
Check it after 4 or 5 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets.
Take it out when the cheese is bubbly and browning a little.
Oh, I love bread flour for making my cinnabon clone recipe. They turn out so much more yummy!
Now, I’m going to actually try some homemade pizza crust – so far, all my tries have been BAD! Thanks for the recipe!
Flours are fascinating. So if you are exploring other flours than just AP, have you tried cake flour (for cake)? Not self rising but just good ol’ low gluten flour.
I’ve always wanted to try using a portion of semolina flour (even higher protein) in the pizza dough. But I don’t think of it when I am whipping out a pizza.
Bread flour is great for making pizza dough with. I don’t often have it on hand, but I agree it makes a big difference. Other than that I usually punch down the dough at least twice, sometimes three times, with a full rise-till-double in between. It gives it more depth of flavor, I’ve found. Or you could give it 12-24 hours in the fridge to get the same thing.
“baking” flour or “high gluten” flour are crutches. sufficient kneading will accomplish the same result
if you’re taking the time to cook from scratch, doesn’t your food deserve the attention of a full, and proper knead?
Julia, I’ve given in to the dark side and use the mixer for my pasta now. But mixing that was always a sticky mess, not fun at all. I like kneading bread dough. It’s relaxing. (Yes, I’m strange.)
Badifat, that sounds a bit like the no-knead recipes everyone is doing. Eventually I’m going to have to try it, but I’m having too much fun playing with the dough for now.
Charlene, be sure to post your results.
Lanny, I haven’t yet. My wife is more the baker than I am — except for my current fascination with bread. I’ll check with her if she’s interested in trying it. And if I can find the semolina, I’ll definitely try it. What I’d really like is to find some that lists the gluten content so I can compare.
Bob, I know the extra rise adds to the flavor. Does it do anything for the texture?
Jehan … wow. That’s interesting. So interesting I decided to take a whole post to respond.
Hmmm, I’m not sure if it changes the texture. I’ll have to do an experiment and find out.
I used the bread flour in the pizza. Huge difference! I ran out of bread flour, what with only buying a 5 pound bag to begin with and then making dozens of rolls and batches of pizza dough. Next trip to the big store, I’m getting a couple of of 5 pound bags. Also, I use honey instead of sugar and it has a different/good flavor.
Stephanie, are you sure you can tell the different taste of honey vs. sugar with only a couple of teaspoons? I have this habit of concentrating really hard to see, “Can I taste the difference?” But I’m not comparing back-to-back, I’m comparing the one in front of me to what I remember about the last one two weeks ago. If I’m being honest with myself, there’s no way I can really remember.
I’ve been using King Arthur All Purpose flour for over 12 years of pizza making (Friday is homemade pizza night!). My bread machine book recommended it years ago and I have used if for hand kneaded pizza and bread dough, Cuisine Art kneaded pizza and bread dough (your dimple rolls are delicious!) and my bread machine…so it covers all bases. No need to buy different type of flour- give it a try
Melissa
Melissa, I know how long it can take to develop a recipe you’re really happy with. I’d never suggest someone should change a process they’re already happy with. But for someone still trying to learn it, which I was, hitting on the right ingredients was a huge step forward in both ease and outcome.
when you use regular flour for pizza dough, do you add gluten? i just buy the gluten separately and add it to my breads.
Heidi, I’ve looked at the two grocery stores I normally go to and haven’t found gluten among the baking supplies. And I forgot to look the last time I was at Whole Foods. When I’m getting low on my current supply of bread flour I’m going to take another look.
thanks for such an interesting post. i am obsessed with pizza dough and have been using the peter reinhart’s recipe, which is paraphrased here – http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html but i will give yours a try. i use king arthur bread flour to great effect. in fact, i went absolutely bonkers trying to find italian 00 flour and was very disappointed in my end result. but i will try again.
as far as time-saving crutches go, who has the time to do everything by hand?
thanks again!
Jane, I didn’t know what 00 flour was, so I went looking and found this great article.
drew,to say the least,i looooooooove your site.
I always use this simple recipe for pizza dough,have for years.used to do it in my oven,now i do in my microwave,,and it always works for me just perfect.
A while ago,I posted it here on my blog..
http://lusciousstrawberry.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-pizza-recipeand-other-stuff.html
I love my recipe so much that i don’t even think about trying anything else.
but this time i am thinking i want to try your recipe!
xoxo,
Angeliquez
PS,Its 4.00 in the morning here..and i am still awake.drooling all over my keyboard,Your foodie pics are not helping,lol!
Angeliquez, I had to go check out your recipe. Pizza in the microwave? Ahh, so it’s half convection oven half microwave. Got it. I might give that a try if I’m in a hurry some night.
Drew,it works even if you don’t do the grill part too.
Most of the time now i do it just for like 7 1/2 minutes microwave,And it still works great,even without grilling its wowie!
right before you roll out your dough bust it with corn meal to give the crusts a more authentic Italian style taste.
oops typo I meant dust not bust
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[...] step photo tutorial. … In the No Knead recipe, there is a high proportion of water to flour. …How To Make Good Pizza Crust | How To Cook Like Your GrandmotherThe last time I made pizza crust I said I'd have to try again with bread flour. The higher gluten [...]