Recipe: Italian Herb Thin Crust Pizza (bread machine dough cycle)

ITALIAN HERB THIN CRUST PIZZA

Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

2/3 cup lukewarm water
1 tbs. olive oil
2 cup. all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
freshly ground pepper (optional)
1 tsp. dried basil*
1 tsp. dried oregano*
1/2 tsp. thyme (optional)*
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. active dry yeast
white cornmeal

Place all ingredients except cornmeal in breadmaker; set on dough cycle.

Remove dough when done and turn out on counter sprinkled with cornmeal. Shape into circle with your hands.

Dust wooden peel** with cornmeal and lightly roll out circle to fit on peel. Sides can be raised if desired. Lightly brush with olive oil and pierce every inch or so with fork to prevent bubbles. Allow to sit in warm place for 20 minutes.

Cover with favorite toppings and sauce.

When pizza stone is at 500 degrees, open oven, mist sides of oven with water sprayer quickly, and jerk pizza off of peel onto stone.** Pizza will only take a few minutes to bake. Remove with large, wide restaurant spatula.

*Two teaspoons of dried rosemary can be substituted for Italian herbs. I use this variation when making white pizzas.

**A pizza stone and wooden peel are almost essential for crispness, but we lived without them for years.

Makes one 15-inch pizza shell
Source: DL Kindel