Cooks Illustrated Pizza Dough

  • Serves: Makes one 12-inch pizza
  • Baking Temp (degrees F): 500
  • Views: 33849

Recipe by ombaker, Premium Member © 2006 Sarah Phillips CraftyBaking.com


Pizza and Photo by ombaker, Premium Member © Sarah Phillips
This Cook's Illustrated recipe yields a thin crust, from which this recipe has been adapted. The thinner you roll it the thinner it will be. Once the crust is formed bake it right away as per the instructions. You need a full size food processor for this.
BREAD RECIPE HELP

ombaker, Premium Member, Says: "My sauce was just finely minced garlic and onion sauteed with a little Italian seasoning in a nice amount of olive oil. Add 1 15-ounce can of tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for 30 minutes. Don't put more than 3/4 cup (1/2 cup is best) sauce on your pizza, it will just make the cheese slide off. Oh so good!"

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
1 cup room temperature water
1 3/4 cup (8 3/4 oz) unbleached all purpose flour; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
1 cup (4 oz) cake flour, not self-rising; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Dissolve yeast in water.

2. In a food processor fitted with a plastic dough blade, combine flours, salt and sugar with 5 second pulses

3. With the machine running slowly pour the water/yeast through the tube and process for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until a slightly sticky ball clears the sides of the bowl (if this happens sooner than 1 1/2 minutes keep processing for the suggested amount of time) If the dough is too sticky after 1 minute sprinkle in a bit more flour or more water if it is too dry.

4. Divide dough into 2 balls, lightly oil the tops and then cover with plastic wrap. At this point you can either let them rise on the counter for an hour or put them in the fridge for a slow rise.
OMBAKER SAYS: If you put them in the fridge, take them out and allow to sit on counter for about 1/2 hour before using.

5. To shape, flour your surface and flatten the ball to about an 8 inch disk. Using your flattened palms gently stretch the disk into a 12-inch round, working on the outer edge and turning the disk as you stretch.
OMBAKER SAYS: I also picked the dough up and turned it in a circle using my knuckles and letting gravity stretch it.

6. You need a pizza stone and a peel to finish the pizza.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with the stone in it. Sprinkle a little corn meal on the peel and place the pizza round on it.

7. Top with your favorite sauce but don't put the cheese on yet. Cook the pizza for 5 minutes, take it out, top with cheese and then cook 4 to 5 more minutes. When you take it out, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with fresh basil. Let sit for a minute before cutting.