Pizza Margherita

My bread baking has now expanded to something I find incredibly useful - pizza dough! I like making pizzas at home but never have fresh dough. So, a response to a post on my favorite cooking forum led me to the blog "Cate in Thailand" and her pizza dough recipe.

After preparing the dough, I topped my pizza with a tasty marinara sauce (YES, from a jar!) and fresh mozzarella. After baking until the crust is crispy and the mozzarella is gooey, I topped with fresh basil. In making this dough I learned a couple things; 1) don't spread your dough too thin. It will make sliding off the peel more difficult, especially with sauce and cheese on it. And 2) make sure to use a good amount of cornmeal on the peel, otherwise it'll stick to the peel and turn over on itself on the pizza stone! (yes, I did this. Fortunately I made two pizzas.)

Ingredients for SIX 12 inch, thin crust pizzas:
4.5 c. all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1/4 c. olive oil
1 3/4 c. ice cold water
cornmeal for the peel

The night before you want to eat pizza:

• Stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in elecric mixer bowl
• Pour in the oil and water, and stir using a paddle attachment until just sticky
• Switch to the dough hook and mix for 5-7 minutes until elastic
• Remove dough from bowl, place on counter and divide into six equal portions
• Form each portion into a ball. Leave dough in fridge overnight in ziploc bag with little bit of olive oil for use the next day. Or, you can also freeze each ball individually in a ziploc bag with a little olive oil, just put into the refrigerator the night before you wish to use it.

The day you want to eat pizza:

• Remove the dough from the refrigerator 2 hours before you plan to bake them
• Place on counter and form into 5 to 6 inch rounds, cover loosely with plastic wrap or clean towel
• After 2 hours is up, preheat the oven as high as you're comfortable with - preferably 450 or higher. Make sure you preheat your pizza stone as well.
• Sprinkle cornmeal on your pizza peel
• Shape the dough quickly stretching it to desired width (but not to thin!!)
• Place onto the peel, place toppings and put into the heated oven
• Cook until the crust is crispy and cheese is melted