Crust
2 c flour (use 1/4 whole wheat flour)
3/4 t salt
½ t instant yeast or active dry yeast
3/4 cup (170g) lukewarm water
1 T olive oil + 1½ T olive oil for the pan
Topping
6 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1 1/4 c, loosely packed)*- can be low-fat
1/3 to ½ c tomato sauce or pizza sauce, homemade or store-bought
Optional: freshly grated hard cheese and fresh herbs for sprinkling on top after baking.
2 c flour (use 1/4 whole wheat flour)
3/4 t salt
½ t instant yeast or active dry yeast
3/4 cup (170g) lukewarm water
1 T olive oil + 1½ T olive oil for the pan
Topping
6 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1 1/4 c, loosely packed)*- can be low-fat
1/3 to ½ c tomato sauce or pizza sauce, homemade or store-bought
Optional: freshly grated hard cheese and fresh herbs for sprinkling on top after baking.
Spray a large bowl with oil. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Place the flour, salt, yeast, water, and 1 T of the olive oil in the bowl.
Stir everything together to make a shaggy, sticky mass of dough with no dry patches of flour. This should take about 1 minute by hand, using a spoon or spatula. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to gather the dough into a rough ball; cover the bowl.
After 5 minutes, uncover the bowl and reach a bowl scraper or your wet hand down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out. Instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of the dough up and over its top. Repeat three more times, turning the bowl 90° each time. This process of four stretches, which takes the place of kneading, is called a fold.
To keep track put four of something next to the dough bowl (like bottle caps), and move one over each time.
Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes wet your hands and do another fold. Wait 5 minutes and repeat; then another 5 minutes, and do a fourth and final fold. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor; this long rise will also add flexibility to your schedule.
About 2-3 hours before you want to serve your pizza, prepare your pan. Pour 1 ½ tablespoons (18g) olive oil into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that’s 10” to 11” diameter across the top, and about 9” across the bottom. Spread it up the sides to the top, as the dough will rise during baking. Heavy, dark cast iron will give you a superb crust.
Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. After coating the dough in oil, press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. The dough may start to resist and shrink back; that’s OK, just cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling/pressing. At this point the dough should reach the edges of the pan; if it doesn’t, give it one more 15-minute rest before dimpling/pressing a third and final time.
Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and will jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
[About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top (about 4" to 5" from the top heating element).] Preheat the Breville oven to 435°F - it heats up in 2-3 minutes. (when baked at 450, it takes only 12 minutes. This might slow it down a little.)
Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes wet your hands and do another fold. Wait 5 minutes and repeat; then another 5 minutes, and do a fourth and final fold. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor; this long rise will also add flexibility to your schedule.
About 2-3 hours before you want to serve your pizza, prepare your pan. Pour 1 ½ tablespoons (18g) olive oil into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that’s 10” to 11” diameter across the top, and about 9” across the bottom. Spread it up the sides to the top, as the dough will rise during baking. Heavy, dark cast iron will give you a superb crust.
Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. After coating the dough in oil, press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. The dough may start to resist and shrink back; that’s OK, just cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling/pressing. At this point the dough should reach the edges of the pan; if it doesn’t, give it one more 15-minute rest before dimpling/pressing a third and final time.
Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and will jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
[About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top (about 4" to 5" from the top heating element).] Preheat the Breville oven to 435°F - it heats up in 2-3 minutes. (when baked at 450, it takes only 12 minutes. This might slow it down a little.)
When you’re ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle about three-quarters of the mozzarella (a scant 1 cup) evenly over the crust. Cover the entire crust, no bare dough showing; this will yield caramelized edges. Dollop small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese; laying the cheese down first like this will prevent the sauce from seeping into the crust and making it soggy. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella.
In the Breville it was done and very browned in 15 minutes! If you want to add vegetable toppings, try adding them at about 10 minutes. Rotate halfway through.
Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly; as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Serve the pizza anywhere from medium-hot to warm. Kitchen shears or a large pair of household scissors are both good tools for cutting this thick pizza into wedges.
Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly; as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Serve the pizza anywhere from medium-hot to warm. Kitchen shears or a large pair of household scissors are both good tools for cutting this thick pizza into wedges.
A chopped can of anchovies is a good addition.
