Pizza - not Delivery!

 Pizza is a international food, but it is "All-American as apple pie". There must be very few people who don't like pizza! Pizza can be varied as many ways as there are cooks. Because I like to make pizza at home, I was anxious to try the new yeast by Fleischmann's that I discovered at the National Festival of Breads - Pizza Crust yeast. The Fleischmann's company supplied a recipe sheet for Cracker-Thin Pizza Crust. So I set out to try it this week.

Ingredients and dough for Cracker Thin Pizza Crust

The Fleischmann's website is breadworld.com. I wish I had checked it before making the pizza crust! I followed the recipe supplied for Cracker-Thin crust, and won't recommend it! It involved using bread flour and cake flour (or a mixture of corn starch and all purpose flour to substitute for cake flour) and a rise time of 1 - 3 hours. When I rolled, or tried to roll, the dough out it was so elastic that there was no way to make it thin, even, or uniformly round! The recipe says to divide the dough into 8 portions for 8 crusts that are 8 - 10 inches. I found that impossible, so I made 3 thicker ones. I like to use a round clay pizza pan that makes a uniform shaped pizza with 8 servings, I managed to stretch one piece of dough into this pan. After filling and baking, the pizza was good, but the crust a little hard and tough.

I couldn't get the dough stretched out on the pan!

P.W. recipe more than filled the pan!

Chapter 2, next try. Back to a tried and true recipe by Pioneer Woman. I found 2 versions of this recipe, one in her book and one on her website.
Cookbook ingredients: for 1 crust - 1 scant teaspoon active dry yeast, 3/4 cup warm water, 2 cups AP flour, 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Website ingredients: for 2 crusts - 1 tsp. active dry yeast, 1 1/2 cups warm water, 4 cups AP flour, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1/3 cup olive oil. Comparing the two recipes, the proportions are a little off. I did add more flour to the cookbook version I was making.
Directions are:
1. Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
2. Add the flour to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Sprinkle in the salt.
4. Turn the mixer on low, then slowly pour in the olive oil.
5. Finally, pour in the yeast and water mixture.
6. Stop mixing when everything comes together. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise 1 hour before using.  (dough can be stored in the fridge for several days before using)
The dough I made was more than enough for my 12-inch pan, so I had a very thick crust. Next time I would cut some off to roll out on a cookie sheet for sugar-cinnamon breadsticks.

It was good, and not as green as it looks here,
even though it was a Taco Pizza with
lettuce and tomato on top

Chapter 3, finding the Fleischmanns' Yeast website to learn more about this specialized pizza crust yeast and another recipe! According to Fleishchmann's this  yeast is developed to have no rising time, and be a faster and easier dough to make. Just mix, knead, shape.  There are relaxers in the dough to keep it from pulling back when shaped, so you can form it as you want it - in a pan or on a   baking stone or cookie sheet. Ready in 30 minutes!


PIZZA CRUST
(from Fleishchmann's website)

1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups of flour


1 envelope Fleischmann’s® Pizza Yeast

1  1/2 teaspoons sugar


3/4 teaspoon salt


2/3 cup of very warm water (120° to 130° F)


3 tablespoons oil

Directions:

1. Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add water and oil.

2. Mix together until well blended; about 1 minute.

3. Add ½ cup flour gradually until dough forms a ball. Add additional flour, if needed, to handle.

4. Spoon dough out of bowl onto floured surface. Dough will be slightly sticky.

5. Knead on floured surface.

6. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic; about 4 minutes.

7. Press dough out to fill greased pizza pan. Or roll dough to a 12-inch circle and transfer to greased pizza pan.

8. Top as desired with pizza sauce, cheese and toppings.

 Bake on bottom oven rack at 425 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is brown.

This is the recipe I'm keeping!!

In this process I learned quite a bit about my preferences for Pizza. I like medium crust and uniformly round, perhaps I've been too influenced by Pizza Hut!