Herbed Pizza Dough This recipe makes one large, thick pizza crust. Check out my blog for my prized Pesto Tofu Ricotta recipe, a sure hit with every bite. Dress it up with your favorite toppings and be nice— pizza was meant for sharing!
1 packet (¼ ounce or 2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar ¾ cup warm water 2 cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon Italian spice, or 1 teaspoon oregano mixed with 1 large pinch each rosemary, sage and thyme 2 tablespoons olive oil Pizza stones are inexpensive and will forever change the way you eat homemade pizza.
In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. In another bowl, sift together flour, salt and herbs. Add yeast mixture and oil to flour mixture and stir with a spatula until combined. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour, or until doubled in size. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out with a rolling pin or push with your hands to get crust to desired thickness. The dough may resist your efforts, but if you are gentle yet firm, it will stretch out. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees if using a pizza pan; preheat the oven to 500 degrees if using a pizza stone. Lay dough on a pizza pan, or parchment paper if using a pizza stone, sprinkled with a little flour or cornmeal and top with your favorite sauce and toppings. If using a pizza pan, bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bottom of crust is browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon. If baking on a pizza stone (which I can’t recommend highly enough), bake at 500 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes, or until bottom of crust is browned. Store leftover pizza covered in the fridge.
Yield: 1 PIZZA, 8 SLICES Prep time: 20 MINUTES ACTIVE Difficulty:
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Yeasted Treats
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