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This basic dough and its variations can be used for any type of pizza: traditional or contemporary; flat or deep-dish; topped, stuffed, or folded. The recipe can be doubled if you're entertaining a crowd or just want to prepare extra dough for freezing. |
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The Whole-Wheat Variation has a nutty, chewy texture that is compatible with hearty toppings. The Cornmeal Variation is reminiscent of the crusts used in many versions of Chicago-style deep dish pizza; its crunch is appropriatie with a wide variety of toppings. The New York Variation uses no sugar or oil, resulting in a crust that's drier throughout than the more flavorful Basic Dough, which has a crisp exterior and remains moist inside. Since pizza crusts and toppings are a matter of individual taste, try any crust with any topping; you can't go far wrong. |
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This very detailed recipe takes you through the steps necessary mixing, kneading, shaping, and cooking for creating all sizes and types of pizza. Read it through several times to become familiar with every element of pizza making before attempting any of the recipes. |
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In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar or honey (which "feeds" the yeast) in warm tap water that registers 110 to 115 F. For temperature accuracy, insert an instant-read thermometer in the water. Alternatively, learn to judge by touch; the water should be warm to your finger but not too hot-the temperature of a comfortable bath. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, while water that is too cold will not activate it. (When making the New York Variation, omit the sugar and proceed as follows.) Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir gently until it dissolves, about 1 minute. When yeast is mixed with the water at the proper temperature, a smooth, beige-colored mixture results. (If the yeast clumps together and the water stays clear, discard the mixture and start over). Let stand in a warm spot until a thin layer of foam covers the surface, about 5 minutes, indicating that the yeast is effective. (Discard mixture and start over with a fresh package of yeast if bubbles have not formed within 5 minutes.) |
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If making the whole-wheat dough, combine the 2 flours in a bowl and use as the flour in the directions that follow. |
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If making the cornmeal dough, combine the flour and cornmeal in a bowl and use the mixture as the flour in the directions that follow. |
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TO MIX AND KNEAD THE DOUGH BY HAND: Combine 3 cups of the flour with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture and the oil, if using. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously stir the flour into the well, beginning in the center and working toward the sides of the bowl, until the flour is incorporated and the soft dough just begins to hold together. |
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough gently in the following manner: press doen on the dough with the heels of your hands and push it away from you, then partially fold it back over itself. Shift it a quarter turn and repeat the procedure. While kneading, vegy gradually add just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour until the dough is no longer sticky or tacky; this should take about 5 minutes. As you work, use a metal dough scraper to pry up any bits of dough that stick to the work surface. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Knead the dough only until it feels smooth and springy; too much kneading overdevelops the gluten in the flour and results in a tough crust. |
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TO MIX AND KNEAD THE DOUGH IN A HEAVY-DUTY FOOD PROCESSOR: Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt to the beaker fitted with either a steel blade or a dough hook. Turn the machine on to combine the ingredients, about 5 seconds. Add the yeast mixture and oil, if using, and process continuously until the dough forms a single ball or several masses on top of the blade, about 30 seconds. Pinch off a piece of dough and feel it. If it is sticky, continue processing while gradually adding just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour for the dough to lose its stickiness. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand as described above for about 2 minutes. |
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TO MIX AND KNEAD THE DOUGH IN A HEAVY-DUTY STANDING ELECTRIC MIXER: Combine 3 cups of the flour, the salt, yeast mixture, and oil, if using, in the large mixer bowl. Attach the flat beater, fradually turn on the machine to the medium speed, and beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Replace the flat beater with the dough hook and knead at medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Pinch off a piece of dough and feel it. If it is sticky, continue kneading while gradually adding just enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour for the dough to lose its stickiness. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It is not necessary to knead additionally by hand as with dough mixed in a food processor, unless you enjoy the process. |
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After mixing and kneading the dough by one of the above methods, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning to coat completely on all sides with oil. (This oiling of the dough prevents a hard surface from forming that would inhibit rising.) Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap to prevent moisture loss, and set to rise in a draft-free warm place (75 to 85 F.- a hotter environment may kill the yeast) until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes for quick-rising yeast or 1 to 1-1/2 hours for regular yeast. |
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With your fist, punch down the dough as soon as it has doubled in bulk to prevent overrising. Shape it into a ball, pressing out all the air bubbles. If you are using bread flour or semolina flour, turn the dough in an oiled bowl to coat once more, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until puffy, from 35 minutes to 1 hour. Omit this step if using all-purpose flour. |
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If you cannot bake pizza within 2 hours after rising, punch the dough down again, turn it in an oiled bowl to coat once more, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. (The dough can be punched down a total of 4 times and kept refrigerated up to 36 hours before the yeast is exhausted and the dough unusable.) Let chilled dough come to room temperature before proceeding. |
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To make a 15-16 inch pizza, keep the dough in a single ball. To make two 12-inch round flat pizzas, two 10-inch calzone, two 9-inch deep-dish pizzas, or a double-crusted 10-inch round stuffed flat pizza, divide the dough into 2 equal-sized balls. To make a stuffed deep-dish pizza, divide the dough into 2 pieces, one twice as large as the other. To make individual 8-inch flat pizzas or calzone, divide the dough into 4 to 6 equal-sized portions. To make 3-inch appetizer-sized pizzette or calzone, divide the dough into 18 equal-sized portions. |
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If you wish to freeze dough for later use, wrap the pieces tightly in plastic wrap or seal in airtight plastic containers and freeze for up to 4 months. Before using, thaw in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days or for a few hours at room temperature. |
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Shape the dough into circles by one of the following methods. |
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TO SHAPE BY HAND INTO AN OILED DEEP-DISH PIZZA PAN: Place a ball of dough in the pan and let it stand to soften to soften for 10 minutes. Then flatten the dough with the heels of your hands and your fingertips to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. Pull the edge of the dough up the sides of the pan to form a 2-inch lip. Let the dough rise in the pan for about 20 minutes before filling and baking. For a thinner crust, fill and bake as quickly as possible. To form the top crust of a stuffed deep-dish pizza, see the following method for shaping a flat pizza. |
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TO SHAPE FLAT PIZZAS OR CALZONE WITH A ROLLING PIN: Place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using the heels of your hands, press the dough into a circle or ther desired shape, then roll it out with a lightly floured rolling pin until it is about 1/4 inch thick, keeping the edges a little thicker than the center. While rolling the dough, pick it up and turn it over several times to stretch it. Continue to keep the outer edges thicker than the rest of the pizza and add a little flour to the surface of the dough whenever needed to keep it from sticking. Rest one hand near the edge of the dough round and use the other hand to push the dough against it to form a slight rim around the dough, working your way completely around the perimeter of the dough. Lay the dough round on a cormeal-dusted pizza peel or a lightly oiled pizza screen. Fill and bake as quickly as possible. To form the top crust of a stuffed deep-dish pizza, use the rolling-pin method just described, rolling the dough circle to fit inside the pan; omit forming the rim. |
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TO ACHIEVE A SUPER-THIN CRUST FOR A FLAT PIZZA OR CALZONE BY STRETCHING: Knead dough for about 1 minute. Lightly flour the work surface. Shape the dough into a flat disk about 1 inch thick and lightly flour both sides. Starting from the center of the dough, press it out quickly with the heels of your hands, working around the dough to create the desired shape, usually a circle, until the dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Dust with flour whenever needed to prevent sticking. Stop stretching before you reach the outer edge of the dough, which will form the rim of the pizza. |
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Rest one hand on the surface of the dough. Lift up a portion of the dough with the other hand and pull it gently away from the center, stretching it as thinly as possible. Continue moving around the dough, stretching it until it reaches the desired shape and size and is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. If a hole forms, pinch it closed. (Be very careful when shaping the cornmeal or whole-wheat variations by this method, as those doughs tear easly.) Now, rest one hand near the edge of the dough and use the other hand to push the dough against it to form a slight rim, working your way completely around the perimeter of the dough. Lay the stretched dough on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or a lightly oiled pizza screen. Fill and bake as quickly as possible. |
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Follow the individual recipes for topping or filling the dough. |
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FOR THE CRISPIEST CRUST: Bake flat pizzas directly on a baking surface formed of unglazed quarry tiles or on a baking stone. In a gas oven, position the tiles or stone directly on the oven floor. In an electric stove, arrange the tiles or stone on the lowest rack of the oven. When using tiles, leave a 1-inch clearance between the tiles and the oven walls for air circulation. Preheat the oven at 500 F. for 1 hour before assembling the pizza. Before transferring the assembled pizza to the oven on a peel, give the peel a quick, short jerk to be sure the bottom of the crust has not stuck to it. Place the peel in the oven, holding the pizza over the stone or tiles, then quickly jerk the peel back 2 or 3 times, hopefully leaving the pizza centered on the cooking surface. (It takes practice, so don't be too discouraged if you lose a few pizzas.) Bake until the crust is golden or as directed in individual recipes, usually about 10 minutes. Slide the peel underneath the crust and remove the pizza from the oven. Use a metal spatula to lift a portion of the crust, if necessary, in order to slip the peel underneath. |
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You can bake as many pizzas at one time as the oven will accommodate; assemble one on the peel, transfer to the oven, then assemble the next one on the peel and transfer it to the oven. Continue the process, removing each pizza as soon as it is done. Do not cover a baked pizza with foil to keep it warm if you cannot serve it immediately; the crust will get soggy. If you wish to serve several pizzas at one time, it is best to bake them up to 1 hour ahead and reheat each one briefly, about 2 or 3 minutes, in a preheated 500 F. oven just before serving. |
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TO BAKE ON A PIZZA SCREEN: Brush the wire screen lightly with vegetable oil and top with the shaped dough. (A screen is the best way to bake pizzas with heavy toppings, as well as to cook several appetizer-sized pizzette or calzone at once.) Assemble the pizza as quickly as possible and give the screen a quick jerk to be sure the dough is not stuck to the wire. Place the screen directly on the hot tiles or pizza stone. If you choose not to use tiles or a stone, place the screen on the top rack of a preheated 500 F. oven to prevent the direct heat from burning the bottom crust. Bake until the crust is golden or as directed in individual recipes, usually about 10 minutes on tiles or a stone and about 15 minutes on an oven rack. |
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TO BAKE CALZONE: Place the dough on either a cornmeal-dusted peel or a lightly oiled screen. Fill and fold as quickly as possible, brush with oil as directed in the recipes, and transfer to a preheated 500 F. oven in the same way as flat pizzas. Calzone require slightly longer baking time, usually about 15 minutes, to achieve a puffed, golden brown crust and a piping-hot filling. |
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Only deep-dish pizzas should be baked in a pan. Flat pizza crusts get too greasy and/or soggy when trapped in a pan. |
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TO BAKE IN A DEEP-DISH PAN: Press the dough into the pan as described, then prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork and place on the bottom rack of a preheated 475 to 500 F. oven for 4 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, lightly brush with olive oil, and add the toppings. Return the pizza to the bottom rack of the oven for about 5 minutes, then move it to a rack in the middle of the oven and continue baking until the crust is golden, usually from 20 to 30 minutes. |
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TO BAKE A STUFFED DEEP-DISH PIZZA: Press the bottom crust into the pan as directed and add the filling. Roll out the second piece of dough to fit just inside the pan, center it over the filling, and press the crusts together to seal. Cut a 1-inch slit in the top crust to allow steam to escape during cooking, then gently press the top crust down over the filling. Start the pizza on the lowest rack of a preheated 475 to 500 F. oven for 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to the middle rack and bake until the crust is golden, usually 20 to 30 minutes. Some pizza bakers advocate covering the top crust with a tomato sauce before placing the pie in the oven. |
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TO CUT PIZZAS FOR SERVING: Quickly jerk flat pizzas or calzone off the pizza peel or slide them off the wire screen onto a metal cutting tray or a wooden cutting board. Lift deep-dish pizzas from their pans onto the tray or board. With a cutting wheel or a serrated bread knife, quickly and firmly cut all the way across the pizza in several places to form wedges. Serve sliced large pizzas on the cutting tray or transfer to a platter. Serve sliced small pizzas or calzone on individual plates. With a serrated knife, cut large calzone crosswise into thick slices. Serve piping hot or at room temperature, depending on topping or filling. |