The dough rocks our socks too and we have decided to share it. I am pleased to present my man C to detail the recipe. See if you can guess what C does for a living without looking at the About Us page...
Problem
Problem
What is required to make great pizza dough?
Overview
Overview
I was asked to provide our pizza dough recipe and instructions based on requests L has received. Now, L and I have slightly different approaches to cooking. L is the cook, I am the baker, which basically means I tend to obsess over measurements and timing. Interestingly enough, as I have worked to refine the pizza dough recipe, I have moved away from the obsessive “baker” paradigm and gradually towards the “cook” paradigm. As a result, the pizza dough recipe has some approximate measurements and times.
So here it goes.
Ingredient list
Ingredient list
2 ¼ tsp Fliecshmens yeast (we have used Red star, but we are digging Fliecshmens lately)
1 2/3 cup warm water (100-105 degrees) basically it should be warm to hot to the touch.
2 Tbsp of honey
3 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
¼ cup (heavy) masa cornmeal
¾ cup (heavy) high gluten bread flour
1 tsp salt
¼ - ½ tsp of freshly ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp olive oil
Materials list
Materials list
At least a 2 cup liquid measuring cup
Measuring cups for solids
Mixture with dough hook (I did make dough for a long time by hand but L got a Kitchen Aid mixture for a birthday present . . . need I say more)
Micro plane
Large bowl
Towel
Method
Method
So, I usually begin making the pizza dough about 11 AM. We usually begin cooking around 5 PM so the proofing time is usually 5 - 5.5 hours.
My method begins with
- Preparing the 1 2/3 cup of hot water. I usually run the tap till it is warm to hot.
- Once the water is at temperature, I pour the 2 ¼ tsp of yeast into the hot water and then pour in the 2 Tbsp of honey. At this point, I leave the mixture alone (to proof) and begin assembling the dry ingredients in the mixture. This usually takes 5 – 10 minutes based on how much little Z wants to help out.
- Assembling the dry ingredients; I measure (roughly) the 3 cups of all purpose unbleached flour, ¼ cup (heavy) masa cornmeal, ¾ cup (heavy) high gluten bread flour into the mixing bowl. I then pour 1 tsp of salt in. The final dry ingredient I add is the freshly ground nutmeg. I use a micro plane to ground the nutmeg. L and I arrived at using nutmeg because it gives the dough an amazing “earthy” taste, like the memories of the best pizza you ever had. The pizza dough just has something in it. For us the nutmeg does it.
- I digress, so once all the dry ingredients are added to the mixing bowl, I pour the liquid mixture in, start up the mixture, at the lowest speed, and let it do it’s work. I let the mixer work until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. At this point I stop the mixer for about 6 minutes to the dough ball mixture rest. After six minutes I turn the mixer back on, at the lowest speed, and let the dough go till I see the dough ball sticking to the bottom of the bowl right at the center.
- Once the dough has been properly mixed, I use the olive oil to line the large bowl where the pizza dough will proof. Once that is done, I turn out the dough, it is still sticky (I prefer the dough to be a tacky to sticky, a texture that does require hand washing afterwards) and put it into the oiled bowl, place a towel over it and forget about it until we are ready to make pizzas (5 – 6 hours later).
- One thing to keep in mind is dough is sensitive to the temperature and humidity in the house. So, the pizza dough will vary based on your home conditions. Making pizza dough every Sunday gives me the opportunity to make minor adjustments based on conditions I control over.
- Enjoy!
