Pizza Crust

Pizza crust is quite simple to make. It just takes a little patience and a warm house. The first time I attempted to make pizza crust it was the dead of winter and my little Kips Bay apartment had terrible heat. Needless to say, my dough was not very successful. Here are a few pointers for a successful pizza crust:

1. Salt kills yeast. Don't add salt directly to yeast, mix in the bulk of the flour first. You definitely need salt in a good crust so don't skip it all together, just add it last.
2. If the water is too hot for your hand, it's too hot for the yeast. Boiled water will kill your yeast. I prefer to use hot tap water since it's restricted to a safe temperature for humans. If you must use boiled water, let it sit long enough so that you feel comfortable placing a finger in it (preferably, one attached to your hand).
3. Pizza crust isn't terribly kneady... Wa wa waaaa. Knead the dough just enough so you can form a tight clean ball, one minute tops.
4. Warm spot! Again, yeast needs warmth to rise. A cold house will kill or constrain its potential to rise. Placing it near or over your radiator in the winter is not a bad idea.
5. Finally, while it is tempting to make a whole wheat crust, yeast will have none of it. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour. I find this gets the best rise and adds a flavorful hardiness to the crust.

Ingredients

  • 1 package dry active yeast (7 grams)
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions: 

Serving: 1 thirteen inch pie (feeds 2-3)
Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min
Cook Time: 20-30 min

  1. Turn the hot water from your sink on. Let it run until its reached its hottest. Meanwhile, put the dry yeast in a large bowl.
  2. Once the running water is as hot as possible, measure a cup of water from the sink. Slowly test it with your finger. You should be able to keep your finger in the hot water for a second or two. A good rule of thumb: if the water is too hot for your hand, it's too hot for the yeast. If the water passes inspection, pour it over your yeast. Mix gently and let sit for 5 minutes.
  3. Add to the bowl the first cup of all purpose flour. Mix in slowly and stir with a spoon. Slowly add the remainder of the all purpose flour and mix.
  4. Now add the whole wheat pastry flour and then the salt. The mixture should be coming together and harder to stir with a spoon. At this point, lose the spoon. Use your hands to gently knead the dough. Have a little all purpose flour on hand, if the dough remains sticky throughout, keep adding flour until it no longer sticks to your hands.
  5. Shape the dough into a ball. Place it in a clean bowl and coat with the olive oil. This will make the dough easy to roll. Cover with a napkin or cloth and place in the warmest spot of your house for an hour. If you like, punch it after the first 1/2 hour.
  6. Preaheat oven to 400°. Once risen, roll the dough over a clean surface. Roll to the desired size and thickness (I like about 1/8 of an inch).
  7. Place on cooking sheet or pizza stone. Roll the sides over to make the thicker edge. Top with your favorite ingredients and bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
  8. Enjoy.