Email to Cat      

.Basics: Food Processor Pizza Dough

Source of Recipe

From "The Harvest Baker" by Ken Haedrich


Recipe Introduction

"I love making yeast dough by hand, but there are always times when it's more convenient to use a food processor. Being a hands-on traditionalist, using the processor took some getting used to, but it wasn't long before I became a real fan. Here's the basic recipe and a whole-wheat variation for those who like their crust to have a wholesome profile. This recipe is a boon for anyone who wants to make pizza more often but feels pressed for time."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water (105° to 110° F)
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sugar
â—¦ 1 packet (¼ ounce) active dry yeast
â—¦ 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons salt
â—¦ 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little for the bowl


Recipe

Pour the water into a spouted 2-cup measuring cup. Stir in the sugar. Sprinkle in the yeast and mix with a fork. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Combine the flour and salt in a large food processor — a 10- to 12-cup-capacity machine is ideal — outfitted with the standard cutting blade. Pulse several times to mix.

Stir 2 tablespoons olive oil into the yeast water. With the machine running, pour the liquid through the feed tube in a continuous 10-second stream. When the mixture forms a ball, continue to run the processor nonstop for 8 to 10 seconds of machine kneading.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter; work carefully because the dough will probably be stuck to the blade. Knead the dough by hand for 30 seconds or so, until the surface of the dough feels smooth and supple. Smear a teaspoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat the entire surface with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough has doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Once it has doubled, punch the dough down and proceed with your recipe.

Makes enough for 2 medium pizzas
or 2 or more calzones



• For whole-wheat pizza dough:
Increase the water to 1 ¼ cups. Replace 1 ½ cups of the all-purpose flour with 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour. Mix and handle as above.