Recipe for pizza crust
I made this pizza for myself one Friday night.
My pizza recipe has been requested! Actually, I don't use a recipe for the pizza itself. I just throw on whatever's around, generally including cheese. But the crust recipe is as follows. Note: You need a food processor, a pizza stone, and parchment paper.
Into the food processor put: 1 3/4 c regular white flour 1 c cake flour (this is the secret ingredient, don't cheat!) 1 1/4 t instant yeast 1 1/2 t salt 2 t sugar
Mix till mixed.
Then slowly add with motor running
3/4 - 1 c water, watching for the dough to form a ball and come away from the sides of the bowl.
If you add too much, it turns into goo and then you have to play the add-a-little-flour, OOPS! add-a-little-water game, which really you would rather avoid.
Process for a couple of minutes till it's thoroughly balled up. Turn out onto a floured surface and form into two nice tidy balls. Let rise under plastic wrap for about an hour. (Yes! Only an hour! This is why we love this recipe!)
Meanwhile, preheat oven with pizza stone inside at 500 degrees for at least half an hour.
When dough is risen, sing a little hymn if you're so inclined, then flatten it out on a sheet of pastry paper placed on a cookie sheet. Use a rolling pin or, if you're more earthy and authentic than that, stretch it and throw it in the air and so forth. It should be very flat and about 12-inches in diameter. (I usually squish the other ball of dough then freeze it.) Top as desired. Best to use a cup & a half or so of cheese, not more. This is not only for the sake of your arteries but also because too much makes an unattractive goopy mess. (And your oven! Oy! Don't even get me started on the consequences for your oven!) Slide pizza AND PARCHMENT PAPER onto pizza stone. Bake about, oh -- 8 minutes? Then take a look, and maybe bake a couple more.
Ta da! Post photo on FB, and everybody will rave because, basically, anything with melted cheese on top looks beautiful.