Need help from the pizza bakers...

M

meryl

Well-known member
I just saw this recipe on Recipezaar - it's gotten very good reviews, but sounds too easy to be true. It doesn't indicate what kind of yeast to use, but it sounds like it should be instant, because active dry needs to be proofed first, doesn't it? Also, shouldn't it be prebaked for a few minutes before adding the toppings?

QUICK AND EASY PIZZA DOUGH

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon yeast

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp lukewarm water

Mix 1 cup of flour with all other ingredients.

Gradually add 2nd cup of flour until it forms a ball. Use your hands to form and knead the dough.

Let the dough rest 10-15 minutes in a bowl covered with a dish towel or saran to keep it warm.

Spread out onto greased pizza pan and top with your favorite toppings.

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.

Makes 1 pizza dough

Recipezaar

 
This looks like my recipe

If you add all the dry ingredients together (dry yeast too) and mix it with WARM water, the dough will rise while it rests. Then when you punch it down, roll it out and put the toppings on, it will rise again before you bake it. I do mine that way. Except mine bakes 15 mins at 425 degrees.

EZ PZ.

 
One change my recipe has

My recipe has a little less water and 1/4 cup oil in it. I mix mine in the food processor and it does most of the kneading.

I like to prebake mine for 5 minutes to prevent soggy crusts.

The directions I use say bake at 500 degrees F for 15 minutes. I wonder if that is supposed to be 475 instead of 375--Maybe it's a typo.

 
OOPS!

I don't know if the recipe matters all that much. What I think DOES make a difference is this. After letting the dough rise once and putting it on the pan, I bake at 400 for about 10 min. Remove from pan to rack.I do this early in the day.
When it's time for pizza I put the toppings on and toss it right on the oven rack.
Works for me every time. Nice and crisp.

 
Thanks, Cyn, your tips sound great - I'll use them whenever I attempt to do a pizza. Should I use

instant yeast for the above recipe?

 
neener and Bobbi Jo, thank you both for the helpful info.

It looks like the 375 is not a typo for this recipe, but I'll follow your advice and use a higher temperature.

 
It looks like my recipe too

I always add the topping on the dough BUT I roll it out quite thin and I bake the pizza in the oven on high heat. Like 400 degrees, maybe a little more.

It always comes out nice.

PS: Another tip: Do not put too much topping on. Too much topping will make the dough soggy and wet. I usually strain the tomato sauce before I use it and I use it sparingly. Less is more, kwim?

 
Either is fine- I just never use "fast rise" Don't like the results. I also use K.A. flour in all

recipes where yeast is used. Just seems to work better than a.p.

 
I Learned how to make good bread from my aunt who cautioned me never to use the rapid rise. She

said if it rised too fast it doesn't taste as good. It may be the "power of suggestion" but I agree with her. She's 90 now and still bakes the best bread I've ever had.

 
Oh I want to eat HER bread! Nothing like years of baking to make the bread taste great

How lucky you are to have her to bake bread for you to enjoy.

I suppose there must be some compromise due to the rapid rise yeast but not enough in my mind to throw off the crust flavor in a pizza laden with tomato sauce and all things wonderful. It is such a time saver to use for me and also it takes really high temps well so I use hot water instead of baby bottle-temp.

Some day just pick up a small amount of it and try it and see what you think, will you? You might be surprised. Just don't tell your Aunt!

 
More pizza questions...

Bear with me, I've never worked with yeast before.

I just bought active dry yeast - If I use the above recipe, do I need to proof the yeast or can I just follow the instructions, ie, mix it with the first cup of flour? (The yeast instructions say it can work either way, but I think it says the water needs to be warmer if the yeast is mixed in with the flour).

I only have a 15" pizza pan - Is that okay to use or should I look for two smaller pans?

I don't have a peel - will it be impossible to remove the pizza from the oven rack without one?

Thanks for your help!

 
Here are some answers, Meryl

Standard dry yeast works better if you proof it first- it is not totally necessary but it only takes a few minutes. Put the yeast in a very small bowl, sprinkle a pinch of sugar in and put 1/4 c of warm water over it. Let it sit and it is ready when it bubbles. Dump it into the dry ingredients with the rest of the wet ingredients.

Yes, a 15" should be fine. Make sure you prepare the pan- oil it and use some cornmeal on it so the crust doesn't stick.

You are using a pizza pan, right? Then you don't need a peel. You will slide the pan into the oven and slide it out again at the end.

 
Wow, Cathy,you're quick! I was advised by Cyn and some others to prebake the crust in the pan, then

place it directly on the oven rack after adding the toppings, so I was wondering how to remove it without a peel!

 
Also, after proofing the yeast in 1/4 cup water, do I still add the 2/3 or so cups water

that the recipe indicates or do I do 2/3 cups minus the 1/4 cup?

 
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