although i have been baking since i was a wee one in my mom's kitchen, i did not start baking with yeast until approximately two years ago.
until that time, i had the idea that yeast was moody, tricky, easily destroyed, and only for advanced bakers. i avoided recipes with yeast because i felt i couldn't stand the disappointment that my ineptitude would bring.
but then i changed. it all started with soft pretzels. i really wanted to make them, so i searched for a recipe and....welcome to yeast baking heaven. warm, golden, salty deliciousness from scratch. it was easy and from that moment i was totally hooked.
after the pretzel success, i progressed into taking a baking class from a chef in our neighborhood. i learned to bake everything from loaves of bread to cinnamon rolls, all using a stand mixer for most of the process. finally i realized that baking with yeast wasn't so scary after all!
thus, when friends were visiting last summer and we decided to make pizza from scratch, i was no longer afraid. we easily made two different batches of dough and they were both simple and crazy delicious.
this recipe is from that day. kevwrex and i now eat this fantastic pizza in regular rotation for dinner at the tree house. it is a slightly adapted version of wolfgang puck's recipe from the cuisine at home magazine.
HONEY OLIVE OIL PIZZA DOUGH
makes 4 12" pizzas
stuff you need:
1 package of yeast
1 1/4 cup of water
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
3 cups of flour
let's do this:
pour package of yeast into the bowl of your stand mixer...
mix in 1 1/4 cup of warm water - between 105 and 115 degrees...
stir in a teaspoon of honey...
wait a few minutes for bubbling to begin.
stir in a tablespoon of olive oil...
stir in a teaspoon of salt...
add 3 cups of flour...
on lowest possible speed, use the paddle attachment very briefly to incorporate the ingredients. do not over mix, only until it looks like this...
switch to the dough hook and mix on lowest speed for several minutes until most of the dough pulls cleanly away from the bowl and forms a rough ball...
remove the ball and knead until mostly smooth.
important note: if dough is crumbly and not smooth/pliable, knead in either water or olive oil. if dough is super sticky and clinging to your hands, knead in a little flour until it is no longer sticky. you will get better at knowing what to do here the more you make dough!
form a ball, rub the entire surface with olive oil.
place in bowl...
cover with towel...
store in the warmest place possible.
let the dough rise for 30-60 minutes.
remove the risen dough and score into four sections...
roll each section into a ball...
cover with plastic wrap that has been rubbed or sprayed with olive oil. dough exposed to air at this point will dry out and get yucky!
preheat oven and baking stone/baking sheet to 500 degrees.
let dough rise for 30-60 minutes...
shape into crust.
top with favorite goodies.
bake on pizza stone/baking sheet at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.
yum!
note: extra dough can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator. just let it warm up and allow it to "re-rise" before baking.
4 comments:
Patty pizza, patty pizza, baker's woman,
Bake me a pizza as fast as you can,
Roll it up and mark it with a D (for Diane, of course)
And put it in the oven for you and me! <3
Yum! I have to try this...I just never think I have the patience for yeast. But 30 to 60 minutes doesn't sound too bad. Happy Weekend!
for your first food blog, you did such a wonderful job on directions and photos! you were meant for some food tutorials :)
I love the recipe and can't wait to try it!
Yum! Can't wait to try this.
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