Thin Pizza Crust

Huskergirl's Note:

From "A Taste of Italy" Cookbook. This is my all time favorite pizza dough. It can be used as either thin which is our favorite or for a thicker crust. I have even used it to make grilled pizzas when it was too hot to turn on the oven. Hope you try it. It is a little time consuming but it is so worth it. I can make 2,12 inch pizzas 1, 17 inch pizza, or 8, 5 inch pizzas from this recipe.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 32 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Cook Time: 17 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 2

Yield: 2.0 pizz cr ...

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water (110 degrees)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/2-4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let proof for 5 minutes or until foamy. Can use rapid rise yeast.
3. Stir in salt, oil, and 2 cups of flour. Mix well.
4. Add 1 1/2 cups flour: stir until a sticky ball forms.
5. Knead 5 minuted on flour surface until smooth and elastic. Coat with cooking spray, place in a bowl and cover.
6. Let rise 30 minutes for thicker dough, and 2 hours for thinner dough.
7. After rising time punch down. Thinner crust divide in half. If thicker crust use all of dough. let rest 10 minutes.
8. Dust pizza pan with cornmeal. Flatten dough on pan; gently pulling and stretching to fit pan, if it resists let dough rest another 5 minutes.
9. Brush with oil. Take a fork and pierce dough several times to keep dough from forming air pockets. Bake for 7 minutes.
10. Take dough out and put you favorite topping on and then continue baking for another 7 to 10 minutes.
11. If you want to make grilled pizza I usually make small individual pizzas that way everyone can add their own topping from an array of ingredients. Place flattened dough on grill for about 5 minutes flip and add all ingredients for pizza. cook until cheese is melted and bottom of crust is crispy.

Reviews

[Susiecat too]

This is a really good basic pizza crust. It came together easily. I skipped the cornmeal, and instead baked my pizzas on a silicone pan liner. I made 1 1/2 times the recipe amount and got enough dough to make two 15x10 rectangular pizzas, with a little bit of dough leftover, which I made into 4 small calzones. I used part bread flour, part all-purpose, and got a little bit of a chewier crust by kneading the dough longer to really develop the gluten. I then let it rise for 45 minutes. I rolled it out to fit my pans, trimmed the edges, and it baked up beautifully. From one husker to another, thanks Huskergirl! Made for ZWT4.