How to make perfect pizza dough
Homemade pizza dough
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
8-g pkg quick-rise instant yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Stir 2 tbsp flour with 1/2 cup warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand until cloudy and bubbly, about
5 min.
2. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup more warm water, oil and salt. Stir until dough starts to come together.
3. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth, 2 to 3 min.
4. Lightly spray same bowl with oil and return dough. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour. Dough should double in size. Serves 4.
Per serving: 265 calories, 7 g protein, 48 g carbs, 4 g fat, 2 g fibre, 433 mg sodium. Excellent source of folate.
Switch it up
Keep it interesting with these delicious variations
Whole-wheat: Instead of 1 cup of all-purpose flour, use 1 cup whole-wheat flour and 2 tbsp ground fl ax seeds.
Continue with recipe.
Herb and garlic: Stir in 1 tbsp each of finely chopped fresh oregano, thyme and parsley and 1 tsp garlic powder along with oil and salt. Continue with recipe.
Green-onion: Instead of olive oil, use dark sesame oil. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions along with oil and salt. Continue with recipe.
Cheese knead: 1 cup finely grated cheddar into perfect pizza dough before using.
Five ways to use it
Start with pizza and take it from there!
Pizza: Divide perfect pizza dough or whole-wheat dough (recipe on previous page) into 4 portions. Roll each into an 8-in. circle. Add pizza toppings. Bake at 425F for 15 min.
Two-bite garlic rolls: Divide perfect pizza dough (previous page) in half. Roll 1 portion into a 10 × 16-in. rectangle with long side closest to counter edge. Spread with 1/4 cup garlic butter. Roll up dough into a log. Slice into 12 rounds. Lay, cut-side down, in a greased 24-cup mini-muffin tin. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 350F until golden, 20 to 25 min.
Asian flatbread: Divide green-onion dough (recipe on previous page) into 8 portions. Form into balls. Roll each into an 8-in. circle. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high. Add 1 tsp oil, then a pancake. Cook until bottom is
golden, 1 to 2 min. Flip and cook about 2 more min. Repeat. Serve with Chinese or Indian dishes, or use as sandwich wraps.
Focaccia: Grease an 8 × 8-in. baking dish with 1/4 cup olive oil. Pat any dough variation (recipes on previous page) into dish until it fits. Dimple surface with fingertips. Place half an olive into each dimple. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 350F until golden brown, 30 min.
Calzone: Divide perfect pizza dough into 4 portions. Roll each into a 9-in. circle. Lay pizza toppings on one half of circle. Fold over filling to form a half-moon packet. Seal edges. Brush tops with oil. Bake at 425F until golden, 15 min.
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