Here is the dough recipe we used when we had a pizza business - every
pizza was made to order so we needed something that would work fast.
This is a very fast rising dough, so you don't make it until you are
just about ready to bake. Have all your toppings lined up and ready!
Quick Rise Pizza Dough
Makes one regular pizza or 4 minis. It makes great focaccia
1 1/4 cup warm water
4 Tbsp fast rising yeast (I use SAF)
1 tsp sugar
I use a 4 cup Pyrex for the warm water and then mix the sugar and
yeast in with a spoon. Let it stand until foamy. It will rise a lot!
Mix:
3 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
Turn oven on to 500 or 525 F, depending on weather.
Measure dry ingredients into a food processor bowl and turn motor on
at high speed. Add yeast mixture and mix for about 15-30 seconds.
If too dry, add a touch of water. If too wet, a little bit more
flour. If you hear motor straining at all, shut off immediately.
If you are making more than one batch, don't double recipe. While
dough is mixing prepare next yeast mixture and follow above instructions.
Take out dough and knead by hand into a ball. Cut ball into fours
(for the minis) and flatten into 7" squares with rounded corners.
Place on pizza stone or pan (*) No need to let it sit and rise. Just
a couple of minutes to let it "rest" is all, and that usually can be
while you are putting on the sauce and toppings!
For focaccia, let it sit a bit longer, since you do want it to rise.
Spread a small amount of the sauce over each round of dough, leaving
a small border all round. Put your favorite toppings and cheeses on
each. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes
(for minis, check after 10 minutes) or until crust is light golden brown.
(*) Instead of buying round pizza pans, we would use the regular, low
lip jelly roll pans (2 for about $11 at Costco) and our pizzas were
shaped square for one order, or rectangular for a double.
Another trick was: We would lift pizza out of the baking pan with
very large wooden spatulas, holding both sides, place on a wooden
cutting board and then cut, before putting on the serving trays.
Also, it is easier to cut the pizza with a large cleaver than with a
pizza wheel! Cut across, then across again and then in between.
Sonia in Hawaii