Crusty Pizza Dough – Thick & Chewy

Pepperoni & Ham Pizza

*Original recipe courtesy of Instructions and Recipes for your Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, 9709785 rev.D

Ready to prebake for 3 minutes
Ready to prebake for 3 minutes

1 package active dry yeast
(2 ¼ teaspoons) room temperature
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (105° F to 115° F)
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 ½ to 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Let rest 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast bloom.  [Bloomed yeast looks frothy.]  Add salt, olive oil and 2 ½ cups flour.  Mix with dough hook on speed 2 about a minute.

Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, and mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes.  Knead on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover with lightweight dish towel.  Let rise in warm place free from draft about an hour or until doubled in bulk.  (I set the oven on the lowest setting a few minutes to warm up, then turn off & put dough in.)  Check after 45 minutes if using rapid rising yeast.

Punch dough down.

Brush large pizza pan with shortening. Press dough across bottom of pan, forming a collar around edge to hold toppings.  [Dough can be divided evenly between two smaller pans.  Freeze one pan after prebaking for a quick pizza at another time.]

Prebake crust for 3 minutes.  Add toppings as desired.  Bake at 450° for 15 to 20 minutes.  (Check after 12 minutes.)

Crust after prebaking
Crust after prebaking

Granny’s Changes
For stuffed crust, cut cheese sticks in half and place around perimeter, covering with the excess dough around the edges.

Use leftover spaghetti sauce in place of tomato sauce.

Cut ham lunchmeat in half and use as a topping, too.

Italian Flavored Crust
Add with first flour addition,
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic

 

Okay.  I’ve tried everything to get the Amazon links to line up.  Arrgg.  I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, so you have to scroll down to see them.

 

 

 

Author: Granny JJ

I live in a rural area of Arizona. I grew up in Iowa and transplanted to Arizona in the early 80's. I moved from a small Iowa farm to Phoenix, Arizona. Talk about culture shock! I lasted a couple years in metro Phoenix, then looked at a map and chose a small town. I live with my husband, Ken, and dog, Maggie, on an acreage just outside town. So much of what I learned by doing, as a way of life, is being lost. Everyone has something to offer the younger generation, so here I go...