This is for Digger. The basic recipe is from Carlo. I have included my
own tricks, too.
Carolyn
Pizza Dough
THE FOOD OF SOUTHERN ITALY
By Carlo Medione
2/3 C. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. yeast, dry or fresh
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups bread flour (I use King Arthur)
3 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle dry yeast over the surface of the warm water, or crumble the fresh
yeast into the water. Let it sit for 3 or 4 minutes and then gently whisk
the water around to mix the yeast. Add the olive oil.
Add the flour, mix with the liquid and start kneading. (Carlo's recipe adds
the salt to the yeast before adding the flour.I always add the salt after
part of the flour is incorporated, as I have read that adding the salt too
soon can affect the gluten.)
If using an electric mixer, knead on medium speed for about 7
minutes. Knead by hand for about 15 minutes. Even if the dough is very
sticky, do not add flour until you are convinced that further kneading and
contact with air will not dry it out.
When the dough is well kneaded, put the dough into a clean bowl and cover
it with a clean kitchen towel. (I use a large plastic dough bucket with a
lid.any container will work, but it should be covered. Plastic wrap is
fine.) Proof for about 2 hours in a warm place (about 80 F). The dough
should be at least twice the original volume. Deflate it, put the cover
back on, and let rise again for another 2 to 3 hours. The longer and
slower the proofing, the better the bread will taste. (You can also mix
the dough and rise in the refrigerator overnight.) The dough is now ready
to make pizza. When I am making multiple pizzas, I store the portions in a
ziploc bag that contains a small amount of olive oil. Many times, I will
make the dough in the AM and keep the dough portions in these bags until I
am ready to use them for dinner. I use a pizza stone that has been
preheated at least 30 minutes and bake the pizzas at 500 F. (Occasionally
I use a gas grill.)
Note: When I make pizzas I usually triple this recipe. You then have
several options. You can prepare the dough and let it rise in the
refrigerator overnight. I usually get 6 smaller pizzas form a triple
batch. Many times, I let the dough rise twice and then divide into 6
portions which I then wrap loosely in plastic wrap, place in a Ziploc
freezer bag and place in the freezer. You can defrost overnight in the
refrigerator for use the next day, or you can defrost for a few hours at
room temp. It is a quick way to have dough ready at short notice
You can use this recipe, omitting the olive oil to make Italian style
bread. After the second rising, shape the dough into a round loaf. You can
use a floured piece of parchment to raise the dough on. Let rise, covered
with a floured kitchen towel until plump. This will take about an hour,
depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Use a preheated 475 F
oven. Slash the top with a razor. Place onto the stone. For a loaf with a
thick crust, put a shallow pan of hot water in the oven at the same time
bread. Leave it there for the entire baking time. After 10 minutes at 475
F, reduce temp to 400 F and continue baking for about 40 min. To test for
doneness, knock it on the bottom. It should sound hollow and be golden in
color.