Feb 10, 2010

The Best Pizza Dough Recipe EVER

Okay. As promised, here's the fantastic recipe I was given from a friend for pizza dough.
No rise pizza dough!
It tastes great and is so fast to make up you'll have no excuse to not make pizza at home. It does call for a couple ingredients I don't normally have on hand (bread flour and soy lecithin) but once you have them you'll be ready to whip up your pizza dough whenever you feel like it.

Ingredients
5 1/4 c. bread flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 TBSP quick rising yeast (like saf-instant yeast)
1/2 TBSP salt
1 1/2 TBSP soy lecithin
(found in the suppliment section of your health food store- comes in liquid form too but I used granules. If you use a liquid do 2 quarter size drops of it- don't measure by TBSP)
2 c. hot water (I just get my tap water as hot as it'll go)


Mix the first 4 ingredients, then add the soy lechithin and water and either knead by hand or in your mixer. I'm lucky enough to have a kitchen Aid and that makes kneading easy. I just let it mix with the dough hook for 3-5 mins. Just till it all comes together. If it seems dry add a little more water. It should be slightly sticky when it's done.
My kids love to watch....
Here's how it looks when it's done.
Divide it in half. It makes 2 pizzas. (or one pizza and a dessert pizza or bread sticks!)
Roll it out.
I'd now like to introduce to you my absolute must-have for pizza making...
the pizza grate!
(I have no idea if that's it's official name but that's what I call it.)
It was only $5 at our local restaurant supply store and was the best $5 I ever spent on a kitchen item. I have my dad to thank for this one; he introduced me to it. It cooks the bottom of your pizza perfectly so it's slightly crispy on the bottom. (my big problem with other pans/stones was not cooking evenly or enough underneath) Plus you can build your pizza right on the grate. (**Update! We use to put ours in the dish washer but found out it ruins the coating on it and our pizzas have been sticking badly to the pan. DON'T put it in the dishwasher.)
Please go buy one if you can!
You'll thank me. :)

So back to baking...
I transferred my dough to the pan and adding all my toppings.
(remember- we're not letting the dough rise)
**Update- I almost forgot to mention that when buying mozzarella cheese you should really go get the huge block at Costco. Nothing else I've tried compares quality (or price) wise. It's SO much creamier and delicious than any other brand I've tried. Other brands seem to almost break apart instead of being smooth and stringy like you'd want it to be (when warm). Trust me on this. We've never had a problem using it all up either. There's lots of great uses for mozzarella, so don't be put off by the size of the block. (I believe it's kirkland brand) Ok, I'm getting off my soap box.
And then after about 10 mins in the oven (at 400 deg.) voila!
Delicious pizza your family will beg you to make again.
Hope you enjoy!
Posted by Laura at 6:51 PM
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6 comments:

  1. I use liquid lecithin - and my advice for those who choose to go this route - DON'T MEASURE! just guess how much 1 1/2 Tbsp is. The liquid kind is REALLY sticky and it is nearly impossible to get off your measuring spoon. Similar to Shortening.

    But I've found that it doesn't really matter if I'm off by a little bit when I squeeze it out of the bottle.
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  2. Thanks Jessica! Yeah, the friend who gave me the recipe used liquid too and said just make 2 quarter size dots of it in your bowl instead of measuring. Like I said, I've never used the stuff so thanks for your tips!
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  3. I'm glad they turned out well. We are a huge fan of making homemade pizzas now. You should try this pizza recipe.. It is our favorite!

    1 large pizza dough, uncooked (fresh, frozen, or whatever you like best)
    3/4 c. ranch dressing (*see recipe below or the homemade ranch dressing recipe)
    2 cloves garlic, crushed
    2 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
    1/2 c. bacon, cooked and crumbled
    1 c. chicken, cooked and cut into strips (**I like to rub the chicken with olive oil and generously sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning on both sides. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.)
    2-3 tomatoes, sliced

    Mix ranch dressing and crushed garlic together then spread evenly on the pizza dough. Sprinkle a little cheese over the ranch dressing then add chicken and bacon. Sprinkle more of the cheese over that, add the tomatoes, then add the remaining cheese. Put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes (or until crust is a nice golden-brown). Top with parsley flakes to make it look fancy and serve!

    *Ranch Dressing:

    1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
    1 c. mayonnaise
    1 c. buttermilk

    Whisk ranch mix and mayo together, slowly add buttermilk. When well blended, cover and refrigerate.
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  4. Yeah! I will be trying this recipe. I will have to see if I can find one or two of those pizza grates around here. Tnaks for sharing it.
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  5. OK, random question-do you cook the pizza on the grate like a stone? Or do you put it on a pizza pan and then on the grate? We love homemade pizza and have it all the time. I really want to try this recipe. Thanks!

    Alicia
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  6. I cook it right on the grate. (It's "technical name" is a pizza crisper- I just learned) Oh and I would recommend getting the lecithin in liquid form if you can. They sell it at the Bosch store for sure, but you may find it other places.
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