Time: 3 hours; Yields 4 medium pizzas
Fool-proof recipe for homemade pizza dough that uses the Zojirushi Bread Machine to do all the heavy lifting.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 3/4 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. rapid rise yeast
For this recipe, I use the Zojirushi Breadmaker Model BB-PAC20. Modify directions based on your bread machine type or model.
Remove the baking pan from the bread machine and attach the kneading blades. Measure your ingredients and place ingredients in the baking pan in the following order: water, olive oil, bread flour, salt, sugar and yeast (make a depression in the middle of the flour to place the yeast).
After all the ingredients are placed in the baking pan, return the pan to the bread machine and make sure the lid is closed securely. Use the Select Course button to set the arrow QUICK DOUGH and press the START button.
When the course completes, remove the dough from the baking pan and place onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into quarters and form four balls of dough. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
Heat oven to 400. Remove the dough and begin to form it into your pizza’s base. Use your thumb and move the dough in circles as you apply pressure and stretch the dough into a larger, thinner base. If you’re comfortable, toss the back and forth in between your hands to lengthen the dough. There are several YouTube videos dedicated to hand tossing pizza like this one from Dewey’s Pizza/Columbus Dispatch. If you’re not up to hand tossing, just use a rolling pin to create the dough into a 10 to 12 inch circle.
Place the dough on a parchment paper-lined pizza pan and use a fork to poke holes in the dough. Top with your favorite pizza sauce, freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and toppings. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and crust is baked.
The recipe for this Homemade Pizza Dough was inspired by Zojirushi.