Sunday, February 15, 2015

Pizza Crust

Ingredients
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 cup water (105 - 115 degrees F)*
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading/rolling)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
additional spices: oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper

*may need +/- a few tablespoons of water, depending on humidity

Directions
Heat water. Dissolve the sugar in the water, then add your yeast. Let sit for a few minutes, until bubbles start to form.

Combine the dissolved yeast with the remainder of the ingredients. If you'd like, add in extra spices to flavor your crust. Mix and knead everything together. It should take 5 - 10 minutes of hand kneading to make your dough consistant and pliable.

To make pizza now: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rise till it's very puffy. This will take about 90 minutes. If it takes longer, that's okay; just give it some extra time. After 90 minutes, roll out dough into desired shape. Allow to rise for another 15 minutes to an hour, depeding on how fluffy you like your crust. Add toppings and place in oven.

To make pizza later: Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate the dough for 4 hours (or for up to 24 hours); it will rise slowly as it chills. This step allows you more schedule flexibility; it also develops the crust's flavor. About 2 to 3 hours before you want to serve pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator. After 2 to 3 hours, it will be ready to roll out and go in the oven with toppings.

When you're ready to bake: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place crust directly onto parchment paper. Arrange toppings on crust. Use pizza peel or large cutting board to transfer the pizza on parchment paper directly onto your oven rack. Bake for 10 - 18 minutes, until crust and toppings are toasted.

Topping Ideas
roasted garlic cloves (roast in 425F oven for 45 minutes)
broccoli
red onions
baby spinach
cubed tofu
Daiya vegan shredded cheese
nutritional yeast

Adapted From
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pizza-crust-recipe

Nutrition
makes 4 thin crusts (personal sized pizzas)
calories  |  g fat  |  g carbs  |  g protein