Making pizza from scratch is an enjoyable experience, and not as difficult as many believe. A great homemade pizza starts with a beautifully made crust, and the quality of the crust depends on the preparation of the dough. Using the proper ingredients and combining them in the correct way is key to creating a product that is sure to be appreciated by all those who take a bite.
Use The Correct Ingredients
One of the most popular and easiest pizza dough's to prepare is commonly referred to as a "Sicilian Style" and utilizes unbleached flour, salt, sugar, and yeast that has been dissolved in warm water. Most cooks find that a superior dough can be created by combining the dissolved yeast in a small amount of water, and then stirring in additional water before adding to the flour. Yeast will be distributed among the flour more fully if the dough is at first very thin, with the addition of more flour to make it stiffer. When shopping for yeast, try to locate a product that is designed to work best with whole grain flours; this yeast will become more active with unbleached flour than an all-purpose type.
Keep Things Warm
A kitchen is often warmer than the rest of the house if other foods are being prepared in the oven or on the stovetop. A good trick to employ when making pizza dough is to combine the ingredients, knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, and then place the dough in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled with a light, classic or extra virgin olive oil, and then covering the dough with a cloth and placing in the oven that has been turned on for about 30 seconds. Using this technique, the dough should rise properly in about 90-100 minutes.
The Important Second Rising
Homemade pizza dough need not be punched down, but simply pulled from the bowl after the first rising is complete. It can then be rolled or tossed to the desired size and placed directly into the pizza pan. A great way to help make the dough form a crispy crust bottom is to sprinkle some cornmeal on the pan before placing the dough. Repeating the oven warming and letting the dough rise in the pan itself for about 40 minutes will result in an exceptional product that is now ready for pre-baking.
Try different recipes and remember which ones turn out the best crust; like any type of food preparation, repeating the recipe numerous times gives the home cook a good feel of just how to prepare any pizza dough.
No comments:
Post a Comment