Thin Crust Pizza

Bidding for the online bake sale, Bloggers Bake for Hope, starts now!  Proceeds go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  I am baking up a batch of my Lemon Poppyseed Cookies and I am really hoping the bidding ends at approximately $1 million.  Because that is what they are worth.  Anyways, go on over to the bake sale and see if you'd like anything.  Maybe you could buy a batch for your mom for mother's day?  It will be late, but she will still love you.  Bidding ends May 6th.  

I have lots of favorite pizza doughs.  There is the Baking Illustrated dough.  It is a traditional crust.  Thick and Chewy.  Great for your typical "take out" pizza recreations.  There is Pioneer Women's dough.  It has lots of oil, really thin, and is cooked on a baking sheet.  It is easy to make, easy to keep in the fridge until you need it, and easy to bake.  And it is delicious.  

Now, I have tried this new thin crust pizza dough from Cooking Illustrated.  I wanted more of a NYC style pizza crust.  Thin, crispy, great texture.  This was a great at home version.  I used fresh mozzarella and added some pepperonis.  This was seriously good.  I think it would make a great Margherita pizza too.  Definitely prefer it over PW's crust, but PW's crust is so easy, I don't really consider it the same type of crust.  Also, I love this pizza sauce.  This is the sauce I was making in our Foodie Fantasy video.  I have made two batches of it.  I just freeze it and it makes enough sauce for about three pizzas.  

Thin Crust Pizza

slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, Jan./Feb. 2011 via Annie’s Eats

For the crust:

3 cups (161/2 oz.) bread flour

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. instant yeast

1 1/3 cups ice water

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

11/2 tsp. salt

For the sauce:

1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

For topping:

Olive oil, for brushing

1/2 cup (1 oz.) finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a food processor* fitted with the metal blade. Pulse just to combine. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and process just until the dough is combined and all dry ingredients are incorporated, about 10 seconds. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Add the oil and salt to the dough. Process until the dough forms a smooth, tacky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, about 30-60 seconds. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead briefly on a lightly oiled work surface, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. (After the period of refrigeration, the dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for later use.)

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl or container and refrigerate until ready to use.

One hour before baking the pizza, adjust an oven rack to the second highest position and place a baking stone on the rack to preheat. Preheat the oven to 500° F. Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. (If you plan to freeze a portion of the dough, this is the time to wrap in plastic, place in a freezer bag and freeze for later use.) Form each half into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spray the dough balls lightly with cookies spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

To assemble the pizza, transfer a dough ball to a well floured work surface. Flatten into an 8-inch disk, leaving a slightly thicker edge around the rim. Using your hands, gently stretch the dough to a 12-inch circle. (I needed to use the rolling pin a bit to get my crust thin enough.) Transfer the dough to a well floured pizza peel and stretch to a 13-inch circle. Lightly brush the thicker edge of the disk with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the grated Parmesan and the shredded mozzarella. Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated baking stone. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

*This dough can also be made in a stand mixer or by hand. Keep in mind, the idea is to avoid warming the dough, so a food processor or mixer is optimal.

(Servings: 2 13-inch pizzas, Prep time: 24 hrs+, Cook time: 15 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  4/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5