Foodie Friday : Pizza Dough

food

Aug 28

This pizza dough is my go-to recipe when we are having a bunch of people over. It’s pretty simple to throw together, and I love the versatility of pizza for a crowd— you can make so many variations in order to have something for everyone.

Pizza night is also pretty common on weekends when we have the kids — I make a mini pepperoni pizza for Zoe, a mini cheese pizza or a few cheese-filled breadsticks for Ava, and Coby and I get a medium pizza topped with whatever I find in the fridge. Pulled pork and onions? Shrimp and broccoli? Steak and apples? Salmon and zucchini? It’s pretty hard to find a combination of leftovers that I won’t put on a pizza. And so far, we’ve never been disappointed.

**Step 1 :** Heat the water in the microwave for approximately 1:20. I like to check the temperature with a thermometer to make sure it is between 110 and 120 degrees. Too hot will kill the yeast, too cold will prolong rising time.
**Step 2 :** Put the water, yeast, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Add the olive oil and whole wheat flour. Mix til combined.
**Step 3 :** Add 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until combined. You will probably need to scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. If the dough is still sticky after 3 cups, continue adding 1/2 c at a time until the dough is smooth/not sticky.
**Step 4 :** Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 1-2 hours.

When the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Break the dough into 3 chunks for smaller pizzas, 2 chunks for larger pizzas. The dough will probably be sticky again, so have some all purpose flour handy to mix in. I put a piece of parchment paper on a pizza pan, sprinkle it with flour, flour my hands, and then roll out the dough on the parchment paper. I have a mini silicone rolling pin that I find to be super helpful. It may take some time to roll out the dough as it can be springy. Sometimes it helps to roll it out as far as it lets you, and then let it rest for a few minutes before rolling it out the rest of the way. When the dough reaches the sides of the pan (or as close as you can get) add your toppings. I start with sauce, then add toppings, then cheese. Be creative! Zoe likes a lot of sauce on her pepperoni pizza. Ava likes just cheese, no sauce. I like alfredo sauce or pesto.

Once your pizza is built, slide it in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 8-12 minutes. (It depends on how thick your crust is. Check after 8 minutes to see if the crust looks cooked and if the cheese is melted. I try to get just a little bit of brown on the crust and cheese.