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Whenever I start to bake something, I like to get to the point where I can do it off the top of my head. Here’s my latest addition to the top of my head:

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 package of active dry yeast (2.25 tsp, I think
3/4 cup warm water (110-115F)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 cups unbleached white flour (bread flour works great
1 tbsp sea salt (or more, or less)
1 tbsp sugar (white or raw)
2 tbsp olive oil

~1 tbsp corn meal or wheat bran
herbage (pasta seasoning, optional)

First: Pitch the yeast. This is sometimes called ‘proofing.’ Put the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast evenly over the surface. Let the yeast settle over 8-10 minutes, until the mixture becomes cloudy and milky. You can stir it up if you like, but you don’t have to.

Second: Combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, and oil in a good-sized mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture, stir with a wooden spoon until you have a wet, lumpy, sticky mass. Add the white flour about 1/3 cup at a time and stir, until the dough starts to become a cohesive mass. I usually dump in a whole cup at once, and add a little at a time until the dough starts to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead in the rest of the flour until the dough is no longer sticky, and keep kneading for 8-10 minutes. This time is necessary to develop the glutens in the dough so you will get a good, consistent dough. To knead the dough, wad it up into a ball, then grab it with two hands like the steering wheel to your car, curving your fingers into the dough, then folding it in half. Smash the dough down into itself with the palms of your hands, and repeat. It’s like wedging clay, if you know how to do that. Once the dough is properly kneaded, dome it over (turn it into itself until it is a pretty round ball with a seam on one side), and put it in a bowl big enough to allow it to double in size. Rub the dough with some olive oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap to seal in the CO2, and set it in a warm place for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Third: Preheat the oven to 400F, or 500F if you’re using a baking stone. I think the stone works best, as it simulates a proper pizza oven rather well.

Fourth: When the dough is approximately twice its original size, punch it down into a disc and turn it out onto that old floured surface again. If you want to add some spice to the crust, sprinkle your favorite pizza/pasta seasoning over the dough and give it a quick kneading to mix it up. Then roll the dough out into about a 12″ diameter disc, approximately 1/4″ thick. Tossing the dough is not so great with the whole wheat flour, because it’s not quite as elastic as regular bread flour. Sprinkle corn meal over a baking sheet or cutting board and transfer the crust to that surface. This will be your pizza paddle that you will shift the crust into the oven when ready. If you’re using a baking sheet, just transfer it to the baking sheet. If you have an airbake, skip the corn meal, it will just fall through. The corn meal is the tiny wheels that allow the crust to roll into the oven and back out again. Oh yeah, before you throw the pizza in the oven, put some corn meal on the baking stone, too.

Sixth: Cover your pizza with sauce and toppings. We prefer a simple pepperoni & cheese pizza and use Mid’s Pizza Sauce when we are able. If you are using meat toppings, make sure those meats are cooked, smoked, cured, or otherwise safe before they go in the oven. Turn your oven down to 350F and put the pizza in immediately, while the oven is still hot. In 6-10 minutes, you will have a brilliant-looking pizza, if all worked out. When the cheese is just starting to turn golden brown at the edges of the pizza, it’s usually done, but you can cook it to your preference. When you take the pizza out of the oven, slide it off the pan or baking stone immediately, as it will continue to cook if left on a hot surface. On a pan, the pizza crust will actually steam a little, and get soft and slimy if left too long.

Last: Slice up the pizza and eat. Kowabunga, dudes.

Edit:  You can divide the dough in half and make two eight-inch pizzas quite easily.

This is a photo of the “New York Style” crust that I made a few weeks back.  I think it only differs from the whole wheat one in that it rises longer and uses only all-purpose flour.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 at 10:34 pm and is filed under Entertainment, I Hate Wal Mart, Mental Wanderings, The Bakery, With Photos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.