Recipe: Terri's Pizza Dough

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-01-03
From: recipelink.com

Recipe(tried): Terri's Pizza Dough
Posted By: Terri/GA
Date: August 2nd 1998
Board: recipelink.com Make Ahead Recipe Swap

A lot of talk about ready-made pizza doughs...why spend all that money...when they're so eeeezzz to make?? I make up a 5 lb. sack of flour at a time which yields about 16-18 10" pizza shells (which I like to cook in my toaster oven (a medium-large sized one), I just put the dough on the tray that comes with the toaster oven (or even a couple of layers thickness of heavy duty foil), smeared with olive oil...bake at about 375-400 ( i have an adjustable rack in my toaster oven...so I have it on the lower position)

Here is my recipe..

5 lbs. unbleached bread flour (I use White Lily, since I live in the south)
l cup self-rising white cornmeal (or plain cornmeal, white, as fine as possible)
6 cups lukewarm (105-115 degrees)
1 cup lukewarm water
3 tsp. salt
3 packets 'quick rise' yeast granules
1 tsp. sugar

In a medium bowl sprinkle yeast packets over 1 cup warm water to which you have dissolved 1 tsp. sugar. let sit and "proof" about 10-15 minutes

Measure 6 cups of lukewarm water in a large bowl (I use the big tupperware bowl) along with 4 cups of flour, l cup of cornmeal and the yeast mixture...Stir and beat by hand with a wooden spoon for about 2-3 minutes, at this point, add the 3 tsp. of salt that have been dissolved in about 1/4 c. warm water---then add flour in increments of 1 cup stirring as you go....add only enough flour to make a mass that is a little tacky or sticky and place on floured board...knead for about 5-8 minutes, adding only enough flour to keep your dough from sticking..(use a bench scraper)flour the breadboard liberally and "flip" your bowl over the dough mass, and leave to rise for about 1 hr. Punch it down..with bench scraper or large knife, cut the mass in half, in half again, and so on till you have about 16 sections. Spray the inside of a zip lock baggie with pam drop the dough in and freeze dough..THis is good for at least l month or more (doesn't last that long here)

If you want to make pizza that same night, just put your dough in the refrigerator...If you're going to use it right away. let it rest in bag in refrigerator at least 10 minutes, and take it out and use it immediately.

If you want to make up your crusts in advance just use the procedure you normally do, (pizza stone, toaster oven etc.) If you use the oven/cookie sheet method, you should grease the pan with olive oil lay your dough down..flip it over (so both sides have oil) and proceed with your toppings. If you are going to just make crusts--when you take the dough out of the bag stretch it with just your two hands (it's wonderfully pliable) into the shape of a circle, dust your peel with cornmeal and do your thing!! Pre-bake only about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.take out..cool on rack and bag in gallon size freezer bags, remove air from bag with a straw and freeze.

Note: when taking this out of freezer, use as soon as defrosted..COLD

After you make the original dough, you can leave 2 or 3 in refrigerator for the next day, then just take right out of refrigerator and shape dough...no need for resting

Hint: use olive oil as little as possible when stretching dough, but then you can be liberal with the olive oil before your toppings go on...order of topppings???? olive oil, sauce, meat, cheese, parmesan last....buono appetito!!