Pizza Dough

I have been on a quest for the best homemade pizza dough for years. I have probably blogged about it before and you are tired of hearing about it. Well, I finally gave up, because every dough I tried either baked up with an unappetizing texture, or was way too much work. I resorted to using Trader Joe's dough, which quite frankly, is cheap, easy, and pretty good! At what, $1.49 per dough, that is still a remarkable cheap way to put dinner on the table. But I have finally beat that! Trader Joe's has NOTHING on this recipe. Try .40 per dough! Take that!!!

If you follow my blog, you may have read about my discovery of the Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day...if you haven't read about that, you can find it here. Well, the pizza dough is a variation of this method. An even easier variation to boot, if that is even possible. It is so simple. Simply mix the ingredients together in a bucket, let it sit for 2 hours on the counter, then refrigerate. The batch makes 4 pizza crusts, and can stay in the refrigerator for up to two weeks! When you are ready to make pizza, you pull off a hunk of dough, roll it out onto parchment, and you are ready to add your toppings.

For years, I have made pizza every Wednesday night for dinner, since Wednesday is our night down at church for Awana/bible studies. Pizza is an easy meal to serve, and simple to clean up, so we can get out of the house quickly after dinner and be on time to where we need to be. I can now make a batch of this dough, and it will last for two Wednesdays in a row (two pizzas each week), minimizing the work even furthur. I buy a two pound hunk of mozzarella at Sam's club, which is the perfect amount for two weeks dinners. So half a hunk = two pizzas. I make a homemade sauce which is enough for 2-3 weeks, and just freeze the leftovers in little containers that I can pull out Wednesday morning. Add some pepperoni or whatever toppings I have on hand, add a salad, and dinner is served. Here is the recipe for the pizza dough. Perhaps you will institute a pizza night at your house!

Pizza Dough (From Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day)

makes 4 one pound loaves

2 3/4 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tbsp yeast

1 1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

6 1/2 cups unbleached flour

In a large bucket or bowl with lid, mix all ingredients except flour. Add flour, and mix with a large spoon until well combined. Place lid loosely on bowl or bucket, and let sit on counter for at least two hours. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

To bake, preheat pizza stone or pan in oven at 550. Make pizza by stretching dough onto parchment with floured hands. Add flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Add toppings and slide onto hot stone. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is browning.