1 cup warm tap water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
1. Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the
yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and the
liquid turns light beige in color.
2. Add 1 cup of the flour and the salt. Mix thoroughly with a wooden
spoon. Add a second cup of flour to the bowl and mix well. After the
second cup of flour has been mixed in, the dough should start coming
away from the sides of the bowl and should begin to form a
soft,sticky mass.
3. Measure out the third cup of flour. Sprinkle some over the work
surface and flour your hands generously. Remove all of the dough from
the bowl and begin to work the mass by kneading the additional flour
in a bit at a time.
4. To knead the dough, use the heel of your hands to push the dough
across the floured work surface in one sweep. Clench the dough in
your fist and twist and fold it over. Use the dough scraper to help
gather the wet dough that sticks to the work surface into a ball
while kneading. Repeat this action over and over again, adding only
as much flour as it takes to keep the dough from sticking to your
hands. Work quickly and don't be delicate. Slap and push the dough
around to develop its gluten and to facilitate its rolling out.
(Kneading pizza dough is a great way to relieve pent-up aggression!)
5. When the dough no longer feels sticky, push the heel of your hand
down into it and hold it there for 10 seconds. This will test its
readiness;if your hand comes up clean, the dough is done. If it
sticks, a bit more kneading will be necessary. Once the dough is no
longer sticky, do not overwork it by adding more flour. Continue
kneading only until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should spring
back when pressed) and no lines of raw white flour show. The whole
process should take 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Lightly oil a 2 quart bowl with vegetable oil. Roll the ball of
dough around in the bowl to coat it with a thin film of oil. Tightly
seal the bowl with plastic wrap to trap in the moisture and heat from
the yeast's carbon dioxide gases. This will help the dough rise
faster.
7. Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise
for 30 to 45 minutes.
8. Once the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down by pushing your
fist into it. All of the gases will quickly escape, and the dough
will collapse. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it again for
about 1 minute.
9. The dough is now ready to be patted and rolled into pizza, or to
undergo additional rising.
10. To raise dough a second time, add a bit more oil to the bowl and
repeat the procedure indicated for the first rising. Then the dough
is ready to be shaped.
Source: The Pizza Book by Evelyne Slomon posted by Linda Davis
Servings: 6 servings
Basic Pizza Dough (Slomon) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Italian; Pasta; Pizza
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to trace the history of recipes far back into ancient history, in truth as far as the ancient Egyptians, and possibly even further than that. However, sadly, these old cook books were just very basic hieroglyphic recipes for food preparation.
During Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled some scripts which described recipes prepared by wealthy Romans. In his scrolls, he describes how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into starters, main course and afters, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius also recounts how the Roman chefs were skilled in the use of a wide range of aromatic flavours, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks like thyme, mint and parsley. During the succeeding few centuries, the rich and powerful families of the West tried to lay on the most exotic banquets, and consequentially cooks and their collection of recipes were greatly in demand. Nevertheless, it was during the nineteenth century the formal cooking and recipe publications rose to prominence. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, spent years to assembling, trying out, and publishing recipes that were common in the better off homes of the day. Like it or not, the introduction of television gave us celebrity chefs and the accompanying recipe books. Which brings us neatly to the present day and the internet revolution, allowing us all to access thousands of recipes just like those on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Basic Pizza Dough (Slomon) recipe.
