This is the pizza dough I use. It is very low in yeast which makes it an excellent long-rise dough. I usually make it the night before the pizza party, then portion it into 200 gram balls which I store in tupperware type deli containers. (spray with cooking spray first) After resting in the refrigerator overnight, I let them rise at least 6 hours at 80• or 8 hours at 65•. It makes a fairly soft dough but great oven spring in the oven.
10 pizzas
Bread Flour 1250 gm
Instant Yeast 2.5 gm
Salt 25 gm
Water 825 gm or ml
4 pizzas by volume
Bread Flour 3 1/3 cups
Yeast 1/4 tsp (yes, that little)
Salt 2 tsp
Water 1 1/2 cups
For "x" number of 200g. pizza dough balls:
x times 125= grams of flour needed
x times 82.5 = ml of water needed
x times 2.5 = gm of salt needed
x times 0.25 = gm of instant yeast needed
I usually mix half the flour with the water and yeast and beat it with a whisk until smooth. Then I add the remaining flour and salt and knead by hand or with a Kitchenaid mixer. I have found mixing with a Cuisinart mixer can overheat the dough, violating the rules for Vera Pizza Napoletana.
Below are pictured the scale and doughs in their deli containers. They rise in the containers and stay there until they are stretched before cooking.
Tomato Sauce I use... the 6 in 1 brand is essential and usually quite cheap.
6 in 1 crushed tomatoes 28 oz can
Dried oregano 1 tsp
OR Fresh oregano 1 Tbs
EV Olive oil 2 Tbs
Kosher Salt (to taste.) 1-2 tsp
Garlic 1 clove minced fine
Homemade Pesto Sauce... blend in blender.
Packed basil leaves 3 cups
Garlic 2 cloves
EV Olive oil 1/2 cup
Pine nuts (toasted) 1/2 cup
Parmesean cheese 3/4 cup
Kosher Salt 1-3 tsp
Half and Half or cream 1/2 cup
Carmelized onions. (time consuming to prepare, but delicious on many pizzas)
For each large onion, (I usually cook 5-8 onions) add to large pan 1 Tbs butter, 1 /2 tsp salt and 2 tsp sugar (or use apple juice) Cook on high until first color appears, then on low 30-45 minutes. Thyme is nice also. Add apple juice, or water to slow cooking as needed.
Combinations
to remember
Many people forget that pizza is nothing more than bread with something on it. For this reason, there should be no limits to ones imagination when it comes to pizza ideas.
Margharita pizza: tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil (added afterwards, not cooked)
Carmelized onion, gorgonzola, pecans (one of my all time best combinations)
white sauce, potato, rosemary
smoked mozzarella, grilled veggies, tomato sauce
brie, pine nut, grapes
brie, portotello mushrooms
feta, red onion, calamata olives
fresh corn, roasted red pepper, smoked mozzarella (cilantro or lime might be nice on this one)
fig, chevre, arugula
pesto, sundried tomatoes, ricotta
olive tampenade, feta, red onion, fresh spinach topping (salad pizza style)
Quattro formaggi: ricotta, parmesean, gorgonzola, mozzarella (or any combination of creamy, aged, blue, and fresh/ stringy)
Dessert pizza? (chocolate/ dried fruit or nutella)
Breakfast pizza? (cheese, sunny side up eggs)
Remember the “Rule of Three”: Limit your pizzas to no more than three flavors, which include sauce and cheese. This is the secret behind the simplicity of the Margharita pizza and many others. Too many flavors is usually not a good thing.
Doughs
If you understand "bakers percentages" and would like to see how a variety of doughs compare, this list might interest you.
Got any great pizza ideas of your own? I'd love to hear about them.