Family Recipe: Homemade Pizza Dough

Cooking to me is part of staring your own family traditions or keeping it going.  My mother made homemade pizzas and now I'm learning to make my own homemade pizzas, including the dough.

I've always been a little fidgety with making dough or anything relating to dough production.  Love the carbs though....love it.  Now for this recipe you can use an electric mixing bowl but until I get a Kitchen Aide mixer, I think using my bare hands is the best way to go.  So this recipe is strictly written from the perspective of Old School-ness.  There's just something about using hands to prepare food in such a way; it's a quality that is hard to come by these days.  Just remember, ladies and gents, to place your rings in a safe place when it is time to form the dough.  Let the goodness begin.

What's in your pantry:

3 Cups of Flour (2 C White All-purpose and 1 C Wheat---any ratio you like)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 package of Dry Active Yeast

1/4 C of lukewarm water

1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar

1 Teaspoon of salt

1-2 Tablespoons of Italian seasoning herbs

2 Tablespoons of powdered garlic

1 1/2 Cup of warm water

Tools:
2 Pizza Pans

1 Rolling pin/ or a bottle of wine (leave half of the content in bottle for weight...the other, Cheers!)

1 Large bowl

1 damp tea cloth

1 small bowl

a warm environment

• In the large bowl: Combine flour, salt, Italian seasoning and powdered garlic. 

• In the small bowl:  Sprinkle the yeast into the 1/4 C of lukewarm water.  Then gently mix in sugar.  Let stand for about 15 minutes in a warm area until yeast develops into a foam.

• Back to the large bowl, create a hollow in the flour mixture. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil.  Gradually pour 1 1/2 C of warm water.  Keep an eye and feel for the texture of dough as you combine the dry and wet ingredients.  You want the texture of dough to be elastic but not as sticky.  Adjust that texture with a little flour or water depending on the dough.  If it gets too sticky add a little flour.  Adjust your water accordingly until you end up with a ball of dough that is ready for a little kneading. 

• Sprinkle some flour on clean surface.  Knead dough until it has a smooth texture. Put a little elbow grease and love in it. For a detailed look into why we knead dough and what to look for, let the bakers at Red Star tell you how it's done.

• Now place the dough back into the large bowl.  Cover the bowl with your damp cloth and let the bowl sit in a warm environment for about an hour or until the dough is twice it's size. During this time make sure you preheat your oven to 375 degrees 30 minutes prior to baking. 

• Once dough has risen, divide the dough in two.  Knead dough and begin to form your pizza crust with your rolling pin. Once you have your crust formed add your favorite toppings and pop that pan into the oven for about 20 minutes.  I don't like to assume that everyone has the same oven.  Your oven is probably better than mine but do keep an eye and nose on your pizza during this time.  Your crust should be golden and the cheese bubbly on top.  Mmmmmmmmmm.