PIZZA PART 1 - DOUGH | A: OK | AB: OK | B: OK | O: OK
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A: N | AB: N | B: N | O: N
| A: U | AB: U | B: U | O: U
| A: HB | AB: HB | B: HB | O: HB
| A: N | AB: N | B: N | O: N
| A: N | AB: N | B: N | O: N
| A: HB | AB: HB | B: HB | O: HB
| A: N | AB: N | B: HB | O: A
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When this happens check the dough again; it's usually done. You want it to be soft and VERY stretchy. If it breaks off as you pull a glob upward, it needs to be processed further.
I've never measured my processing time, but it could be as long as several minutes. It is the strechiness that counts. If you knead by hand, keep another hapf-cup of warm water nearby. Dip your hands in this as you knead, whenever the dough gets sticky.
Don't add more flour as many recipes suggest; just wetting your nads should do the trick. It may have to be kneaded for as long as 20 minutes to develop the appropriate strechy quality.
Then form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in a bowl that has been rinsed with warm water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (or whatever) and keep in a warm, draft-free place (70-80 degrees F).
If your house is cooler, then that's fine; it will simply take a little longer to rise. Not to worry.
After about 1 1/2 hours, wet your finger and poke a hold about 1/2 inch deep in the center of the dough. If the dough fills in slightly, it's too soon. If it doesn't fill in at all, or if it sighs, then it is ready.
Press it flat (in the bowl), form gently into another ball, and let rise again. This time it will take about half as long as it did the first time. Perform the same poke test the second time.
The recipe is said to make one large pizza or two small ones. However, I usually divide the dough into 3 parts. I use one of those round pizza pans 13" in diameter.
When the dough has risen that second time, turn it onto a lightly floured board (or I simply use my Formica countertop with a little water on it). Divide it, and if you are only make one pizza, put any unused balls into the freezer wrapped in plastic.
(Then the next time you have a hankering for pizza, you can have it much more quickly!) Invert the bowl over the ball(s) and let it rest for 15 - 30 minutes or until it is quite soft.
Then, with floured or wet hands press and pat from one side to the other to press out all bubbles and to flatten the dough. If you can throw and twirl it, fine. I usually just spray some olive oil onto my baking pan.
When the dough is about half the size of the pan, I put it in there and continue the shaping process right there. If you divide the dough as I do in thirds, it will be thin, so handle it gently.
If a hold develops, grab some dough from the edge and repair it. But if you are gentle enough, you can fill the pan without holds. I usually build up the edge just a bit for hold in any errant sauce. If your dough is too elastic, and keeps trying
to shrink, let it rest another few minutes and try again; eventually it will stay there.
Now, go make the sauce, and come back to this recipe. :)
1/4 cups of the pizza sauce will cover your dough nicely. Too much makes it soupy.
Then I put on my vieggies (green pepper, onions, portabella mushrooms or whatever you like). Sometimes I put some of my own (cooked) turkey sausage, broken up into bits. Top it off with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 425 degrees F on the middle rack until the cheese is nicely melted and browned.
You can make the dough with water or soymilk if sharing with Os or As. You can use a soy cheese instead of mozzarella. Follow Suggestions for melting soy cheese in the Substitutions section on how to melt the soy cheese well.
Copyright 2000 by ER4YT Recipe Project