The Realtors Perfect Pizza Primer W Dough Recipes

Steps:

• Make the dough in the bread machine. Put everything in there according to the manufacturers instructions for your machine.
• If I have the time, I shred my own mozzarella cheese (about 2lbs). If not, I use the store bought shred- about 3 cups per pizza. Then, lucky me, I live 3 blocks from the place that makes homemade Italian sausage, I get a pound of the mild, loose sausage and fry it up just until the pink goes and some pieces are starting to brown. I also fry up the onions right in there with the sausage and they are also just starting to brown and are no longer crispy but are kinda wilted and softer. I use half an onion about the size of a baseball, sliced in 3/8 inch rounds. If you're doing other veggies, do them right in there with these.
• I cut the dough in half and make 2 pizzas rolled out to about 10x12 rectangles. I roll it out to about 1/4 to 3/8 inch- pretty thin, like cookie dough. It makes a thin crust pizza that is crispy on the bottom but doughy on the top like it's supposed to be.
• Then I put the pizza together with the dough, a layer of cheese, a thick layer of sauce (use about 1 to 1 1/2 cups per pizza), the sausage and onion mixture or whatever toppings you're using, a heavy sprinkling of granulated garlic and then romano cheese, then another semi-thick layer of cheese.
• When I heat the oven up (425*), I put the pan or stone in the oven so when I put the pizza on it, it's already hot. I roll my dough out with a rolling pin onto heavily floured parchment and use a cookie sheet with no sides to transfer the pizzas back and forth and I just drag them by the edges of the parchment. I take all the extra racks out of the oven and move the one I'm using close to the bottom so there's room to work in there.
• Bake them 20 minutes. The tops should be very brown and look good enough to be in a magazine. When it comes out, the onions are perfectly carmelized and the sausage is not all burnt up or funky raw like when you throw it on top. It stays juicy and flavorful cause it's baked it the sauce. Only pepperoni or little cooked meatballs goes on top. All other stuff gets fried lightly and baked in, under the final layer of cheese.
• *The hot pizza stone is a critical piece of the puzzle for achieving a perfect crust. Get one- they are sooo worth the money. If you don't have one, use a dark cookie tray- not one of those air-bake ones. They don't work well. Been there, done that. If you use a dark one, you'll get very close to the perfect crust. Make sure you choose one that stays flat when it gets hot because some of them buckle up and twist when they get hot and then all your cheese and toppings will slide to the middle (oh, no!). I've been doing this a long time so I've made ALL the mistakes at least once!
• This is another one of those recipes I've been refining for 15 or 20 years. This is as close to the perfect pizza I've come.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar; add yeast and whisk until dissolved. Let stand until bubbles form on surface. In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and, if desired, dried herbs. Make a well in center; add yeast mixture and oil. Stir until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead, adding more flour to surface as needed until no longer sticky and dough is smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a large greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes; transfer bowl to refrigerator and chill overnight. Allow dough to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before rolling.

Steps:

• Place the sugar, salt, 1 TBSP olive oil, water, 1 cup flour, yeast, and remaining cup of flour into your mixer's work bowl.
• Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer on low and mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball.
• Spray your hook attachment with cooking spray and swap it out with the paddle.
• Knead dough for 15 minutes on medium speed.
• After 15 minutes, tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disc.
• Stretch the dough until thin, hold it up to the light, and look to see if a taut membrane has formed (also called a baker's window), you should be able to see a webbing of membranes and nearly be able to see through the dough.
• If the dough tears before it forms, if you aren't able to pull it thin to almost see through before it rips, knead the dough for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• Form the dough into a smooth ball on the countertop, sealing it unto itself.
• Place the dough ball in a large stainless or glass bowl and add 2 tsp olive oil, tossing to coat.
• Cover with plastic wrap (doesn't have to be a perfect seal) and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• Place pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven (or if your heating element is on the bottom of your oven, simply place stone onto the lowest position oven rack) and turn the oven on to its highest temperature, 500° or mine goes to 550°.
• Split the dough into 2 equal pieces using a knife or dough scraper.
• Flatten each piece into a disc onto the countertop and then fold each piece into a ball.
• Wet hands barely with water and rub them onto the countertop to dampen the surface slightly to make it 'sticky', roll the dough on the surface until it tightens into a smooth ball.
• Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
• If you won't be immediately using the second ball of dough, spray the inside of a ziplock bag and place the dough ball into the bag.
• Seal and refrigerate for up to 6 days.
• Sprinkle flour or cornmeal onto peel and place dough onto the peel.
• Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza.
• Stretch the dough into a round disc, holding the center with one hand and gently pulling the edges outward with the other hand, rotating after each stretch, try tossing if you're up for it, but do not use a rolling pin!
• Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it will slide onto the pizza stone or tile.
• Dress and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the stretched dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.
• To dress the pizza, brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil.
• Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the pizza.
• Sprinkle the herbs onto the sauce and then any toppings you might want.
• Top with cheese.
• Slide the pizza onto the tile and bake for 7 or 8 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown, checking the underside for doneness before removing.
• Rest finished pizza for 3 minutes before cutting.