Neo-Neapolitan Pizza Dough

5 cups (22.5 ounces) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
2 teaspoons table salt or 31/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil or solid vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon room-temperature water (70°F)
 
With a large metal spoon, stir together all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric stand mixer until combined. Fit it with the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until all the flour gathers to form a coarse ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix again on medium-low speed for an additional 2 minutes, or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and sticks just a little to the bottom. If the dough is too soft and sticky to hold its shape, mix in more flour by the tablespoonful; if it is too stiff or dry, mix in more water by the tablespoonful. The dough should pass the windowpane test.
 
Immediately divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Round each piece into a ball and brush or rub each ball with olive or vegetable oil. Place each ball inside its own zippered freezer bag. Let the balls sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then put them in the refrigerator overnight or freeze any pieces you will not be using the next day. (Or, if you are making the pizzas on the same day, let the dough balls sit in the bags at room temperature for 1 hour, remove them from the bags, punch them down, reshape them into balls, return them to the bags, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.)
 
The next day (or later the same day if refrigerated for only 2 hours), remove the balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to roll them out to take off the chill and to relax the gluten. At this point, you can hold any balls you don’t want to use right away in the refrigerator for another day, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
 
Makes four 10-ounce dough balls.

By Peter Reinhart

Swiss Chard and Artichoke Pizza

Pizza dough (or puff pastry, if you defrost that instead by mistake - hee hee)
6 to 8 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced or shredded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic (or roasted garlic), minced
1 bunch Swiss chard (about 12 ounces or 4 packed cups of leaves), leaves and stalks separated and both chopped into small pieces
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and rinsed, chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a 4-quart or larger pot.  Add onion and chopped Swiss chard stalks.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes; do not let the garlic brown.

Stir Swiss chard leaves and chopped artichoke hearts into onion mixture.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and let chard mixture cool slightly.  Stir in Parmesan. 

Shape the dough on a baking sheet/pizza pan.  Spread the chard mixture evenly over the dough, then top with mozzarella.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is starting to brown.  Slice and serve.

From Food 52.

Pizza al Taglio Dough

2 2/3 cups (14 2/3 ounces) bread flour
1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) water, room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
Vegetable or olive oil

Whisk flour and yeast together in medium bowl.  Add room-temperature water and oil and stir with wooden spoon until shaggy mass forms and no dry flour remains.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle salt over dough and mix until fully incorporated.  Cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest for 20 minutes.

Using wet hands, fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle.  Turn bowl 90 degrees; fold again.  Turn bowl and fold dough 4 more times (a total of 6 turns).  Cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest for 20 minutes.  Repeat folding technique, turning bowl each time, until dough tightens slightly, 3 to 6 turns total.  Cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Liberally oil the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.  Transfer dough to prepared pan and coat top of dough lightly with oil.  Gently press dough into a 10 by 7-inch oval of even thickness.   Cover pan tightly with plastic and refrigerate for at least 16 hours or up to 24 hours.

After the 16-24 hours rest time, brush top of dough with 2 tablespoons oil.  Oil rimmed baking sheet, including rim.  Invert prepared sheet on top of pan and flip, allowing dough to fall onto sheet (you may need to lift pan and nudge dough at 1 end to release).  Using your fingertips, gently dimple dough into an even thickness and stretch toward edges of baking sheet to form 15 by 11-inch oval.  Lightly oil top of dough, cover loosely with plastic, and let rest until slightly puffy, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 F.  Just before baking, use your fingertips to gently dimple dough into even thickness, pressing into corners of baking sheet. 

Spread dough with 1/2 cup of any sauce, if desired, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, spreading it evenly over the surface.  Add toppings if desired.  Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until bottom of crust is evenly browned and top is lightly browned in spots, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.

Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.  Run knife around rim of sheet to loosen pizza.  Transfer pizza to cutting board and cut into 8 rectangles.  Add any additional toppings as desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

From America's Test Kitchen, with minor changes

Pesto Potato Pizza

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds

1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 pound pizza dough, at room temperature

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1/3 cup Arugula Pesto

1 medium potato, very thinly sliced

8 ounces burrata cheese or soft mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup fresh basil or or lemon basil leaves or 1 cup arugula leaves

Crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil, or sprinkle cast iron pizza pan with cornmeal.

In a small bowl, combine the oregano, sesame seeds, lemon zest, cumin, and generous pinches of salt and pepper.

On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin (about a 10-12 inch circle).  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet or pan.  Rub the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the seed mix, using as little or as much as you'd like.  Spread the dough with pesto and layer on the sliced potatoes, drizzling them lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the potatoes are crisp.  

Remove from the oven and top with lumps of burrata or mozzarella.  Allow the cheese to sit on the pizza and warm through, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle on the basil or arugula and crushed red pepper flakes.

Makes one 10-12 inch pizza.

From Half Baked Harvest blog

Pizza Dough from Figs Restaurant

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
2 teaspoons fresh yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil 
1 2/3 cups lukewarm water

Place the flours, yeast, salt, and sugar in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.  While the mixer is running, gradually add the oil and water.  Knead on low speed until the dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes.  

Divide the dough into four balls, about 7 1/2 ounces each.  (Freeze two of the dough balls, if desired.)  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Place dough balls on the parchment and cover with a damp towel or oiled plastic wrap.  Let them rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

To roll out the dough: Dab your fingers in flour and then place one ball on a generously-floured work surface and press down in the center with the tips of your fingers, spreading the dough with your hand.  When the dough has doubled in width, use a floured rolling pin and roll out until it is very thin, like flatbread.  The outer border should be a little thicker than the inner circle.  Do not worry that the pizza is not round; you are looking for an 8- to 10-inch shape, a cross between an oval and rectangle. If you get a hole, simply pinch the edges back together.  Repeat with remaining dough ball(s).

Top as desired and bake in a 500° F oven for about 6 to 7 minutes, until browned.

Makes 4 8- to 10-inch pizzas (serves 1 to 2 people per pizza)

From The Figs Table by Todd English and Sally Sampson

Honey Pizza Dough

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 cup warm water (about 105 to 115°F)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (might need to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water. 

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt (this can be done by hand with a spoon if you don't have a mixer).

Add the oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup water to the flour, and mix on low speed until dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes.  If the dough is still sticky, then simply add a bit more flour until it pulls cleanly away from the hook.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for 2 or 3 minutes; the dough should be smooth and firm.  Place in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let sit for about 30-45 minutes; when ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled.

Take the dough out of bowl and divide into either 2 or 4 balls, depending on whether you want 2 large pizzas or 4 small.  Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times.

Cover the dough with a damp towel (or use plastic wrap, loosely fitted) and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.  At this point, the balls can be used or wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

To make pizzas, stretch dough out onto greased pizza pan, top with sauce and toppings, and bake at 450°F for 12-16 minutes, or until done.  Smaller pizzas will take less time, so keep watching. 

Makes enough dough for 2 large or 4 small pizzas.

Recipe from Wolfgang Puck via Food.com 

Sourdough Pizza Crust

1 cup sourdough starter, unfed (straight from the fridge)

1/2 cup hot tap water

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

Stir any liquid into the sourdough starter, and spoon 1 cup starter into a mixing bowl.

Add the hot water, flour, salt, and yeast.  Mix to combine, then knead until smooth and slightly sticky, about 7 minutes at medium speed using a stand mixer with dough hook.  Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased container, and allow it to rise until it is just about doubled in bulk.  This might take 2 to 4 hours or more, partly depending on how vigorous your starter is.  For a faster rise, place the dough somewhere warm (or increase the yeast).  To slow it down, put it somewhere cool.

For two thinner-crust pizzas, divide the dough in half, shaping each half into a flattened disk. Drizzle two 12" round pizza pans with olive oil, tilting the pans to coat the bottom. Place half the dough in each pan. Cover, and let rest for 15 minutes. Gently press the dough towards the edges of the pans; when it starts to shrink back, cover it and let it rest again, for about 15 minutes. Finish pressing the dough to the edges of the pans.

For a thicker-crust pizza, drizzle olive oil into a jelly roll pan (10" x 15") or half-sheet pan (18" x 13"), or similar sized pan, or a 14" round pizza pan, tilting the pan to coat with the oil. Shape the dough into a flattened disk or oval. Place it in the pan, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Push the dough towards the edges of the pan; when it starts to fight back, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Finish pushing it to the edges of the pan.

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise until it is as thick as you like. For thin-crust pizza made from fairly fresh starter, this may only be an hour or so. For thick-crust, using an old, little-used starter, this may take most of the day. There are no hard-and-fast rules here; it all depends on the vigor of your starter, and how you like your crust.

Towards the end of the rising time, heat oven to 450°F.

For a thicker crust, pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes before topping. Top, then bake until toppings are hot and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. For thin crusts, bake for 4 to 5 minutes, then top and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until toppings are as done as you like.

Remove from the oven, and loosen the edges of the pizza with a table knife or heatproof spatula. Carefully lift it onto a cooling rack; you can serve it right from the pan, if desired, but a cooling rack helps keep its bottom crisp. Serve hot.

Makes one 14" round or rectangular thick-crust pizza, or two 12" round thin-crust pizzas.

From King Arthur Flour

Note:  The less-used your starter, the more liquid on top, the more sour it's likely to be; using a starter that hasn't been fed for weeks will yield a pizza crust that rises slowly and tastes quite tangy. This type of crust is handy when you want to make dough in the morning and have pizza ready for dinner. On the other hand, a starter that's fed regularly will yield a less-sour crust, one that will rise much more quickly. 

Sunchoke and Brussels Sprout Pizza

1 half lemon
1 pound sunchokes
1 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Brussels sprouts, shredded
1 ball thin-crust pizza dough
Cornmeal
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 500° F.  

Squeeze the lemon half into a bowl of water and drop it in.  Peel the sunchokes and add them to the water as you go to prevent them from darkening.

Drain half of the sunchokes, cut them into 1-inch pieces, transfer them to a small to medium saucepan, and cover with the milk.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer over low to moderate heat until tender, about 15 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sunchokes to a blender or food processor.  Add 1/3 cup of the milk and puree.  Return the puree to the pan and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Drain the remaining sunchokes, cut them in half, and slice 1/4 inch thick.  Add them to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning a few times, until crisp, about 6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a bowl.

Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet.  Heat the oil, then add the onion, cover, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.  Add the shredded Brussels sprouts, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly browned, about 5 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and add to fried sunchokes in bowl.

Roll out the pizza dough to form a 12-inch round.  Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza pan, then transfer the dough round to the pan.  Spread the sunchoke puree over the round, leaving a 1-inch border.  Spread the sunchoke, onion, and Brussels sprout mixture over the puree.  Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese on top.  Bake in the oven until crisp and lightly browned, about 6 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve.


Serves 2.

From Food and Wine, with changes

Thin and Crispy Pizza Dough

2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
Olive oil

In a 1-cup measuring cup or bowl, stir yeast and sugar into water.  Set aside for 10 minutes or until foamy.  Stir again.  Lightly beat egg into yeast mixture.

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.  Add yeast mixture to bowl and knead until dough is combined.  If dough needs a little more water, add it a tablespoon at a time.  The dough should be a little sticky.  Do not add more flour.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Pick up dough and throw it down hard 8 or 9 times, using a dough scraper as necessary.  Knead several times, dusting with a little flour at this point if the dough is still too sticky to handle after kneading, and throw down again 8 or 9 times.  Continue throwing and kneading until dough is smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Lightly oil dough and place in a bowl large enough to allow it to double in volume.  Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.  Dough may also be refrigerated for several hours or overnight.  Do not punch dough down.

With floured hands, gently pull dough down from the sides of the bowl.  Remove, and slice into 5 equal sections.  Use immediately, or wrap each section well in plastic wrap (leaving enough room for expansion); place in the refrgierator for up to 4 days, or freeze.

Use a rolling pin to roll each dough section out into a 10-inch circle.  Add toppings, and bake in a 500°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until just browned.

Makes enough dough for five 10-inch pizzas or one 14-inch pizza.


From All the Best Pizzas by Joie Warner