Recipe: Basic Pizza Dough (food processor)

Basic Pizza Dough (food processor)
rec.food.baking/Ina Bechhoefer/1999
Source: Best Bread Ever by Charles Van Over

This recipe benefits from a long retardation in the refrigerator. The longer, the better. It makes a very thin crust if you want. Stretches amazingly easy.

1 lb. (3 1/2-4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. instant yeast (SAF)
9 1/2 oz. (1 cup 3 tbsp.) water
Cornmeal for the peel or baking sheet

Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Using an instant-read thermometer, adjust the water temperature so that the combined temperatures of the flour and water give a base temperature of 130F if using a Cuisinart or KitchenAid or 150 degrees F if using a Braun. With the machine running, pour all but 2 tablespoons of the water through the feed tube. Process for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and if the dough seems too dry, add the remaining water during the last 15 seconds of processing for a total of 45 seconds.

Stop the machine and take the temperature of the dough with an instant-read thermometer, which should read between 75F and 80F. If the temperature is lower than 75F, process the dough for an additional 5 seconds, up to twice more, until it reaches the desired temperature. If the temperature is higher than 80F remove the thermometer, scrape the dough from the food processor into an ungreased bowl, and refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Check the temperature after 5 minutes; it should be 80F or cooler by that time.

Remove the dough from the processor, place it in a large ungreased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to ferment for 21/2 to 3 hours at room temperature, 70F to 72F It will not double at this point, but it will increase in volume somewhat.

Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator and retard for at least 4 hours or up to 36 hours. Proceed with any of the recipes for pizza, focaccia, or schiacciata (Tusca flatbread).