Pizza. You know you want some! This one word can set mouths watering and stomachs growling.
It has been estimated that the average American will consume more than 6,000 slices of pizza in their lifetime – or about 46 slices per year (that’s about 23 pounds of pizza)
Since it it National Pizza Week (National Pizza Month is October – yeah – a whole month to celebrate) I am sharing my favorite thin-crust dough recipe. This is a fabulous crust – the base is crisp and the inside stays moist. . . . a win-win!
For those of you who keep sourdough starter as a member of your family – I have included a link for my sourdough version of this crust. All I am going to say is Mmmmmmm.
Mangia!
Kathy
My Favorite Thin-Crust Pizza Dough
This dough is quick, easy, and delicious. The crust is crisp on the bottom and soft inside. A thin-crust lover’s dream!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) warm water
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 500 degrees – or as hot as it will go – allowing a good 30 minutes to pre-heat.
To Mix by Hand
- Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the flour and salt.
- Stir until you can no longer incorporate any more flour. (The dough will be a bit shaggy.)
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured board and knead to incorporate the remaining flour.
- Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). The dough should be soft (not stiff), moist, and slightly sticky. If it sticks to your hands or the work surface, add flour – one tablespoon at a time – just until it no longer sticks and is smooth.
- At this point, you can let the dough rise until it doubles in bulk – (about an hour), place in an oiled zip top bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days – or, let the dough rest, covered, until you are ready to assemble the pizzas.
- To make the pizzas, divide the dough in half.
- Working one piece at a time, form the dough - using your hands – into a disk.
- Place the dough onto a floured surface.
- Working from the center of the dough and using your hands, gently stretch and press the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick, dusting with flour as needed.
- Transfer the dough to the pan or peel by lifting gently or folding the dough in quarters and place on a pizza pan (or pizza peel if you will be cooking on a stone) Make sure that the pan or peel has been generously dusted with cornmeal.
- Unfold the crust and top as desired.
- Bake the pizza for about 5 minutes.
- Turn/rotate and bake another 3-5 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbly and browned to your liking.
To Mix With a Stand Mixer, Using a Dough Hook
- If you are using a stand mixer with a dough hook, place all of the ingredients into the bowl of the mixer.
- Mix on low speed to combine. When the ingredients are incorporated, turn to medium speed and let the dough hook knead the dough for 4-5 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead a few times to ensure texture and follow the instructions above.
Notes
Because of the thinness of the crust, let the cooked pizza rest 4-5 minutes before slicing and eating. ..
This dough can be rolled , but as with all pizza crust, using your hands to shape the dough will give more texture and yield a more artisan type crust.
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