Need pizza crust recipe for beginner

[mj1]

I have terrible issues with making a pizza crust. As a beginner, I first tried a packaged mix where I just had to add water, stir until I have a soft dough, wait five minutes, knead a few times, then roll out. I figured it would be easier than trying to make something from scratch since I was also making my own sauce. Those mixes were hit or miss and ultimately a way too thin, sometimes too dry pain in the rear that sometimes ended up in the trash instead of the oven.

I then tried making a crust from scratch and also one from Bisquick. Both of those were monumental failures. After that, I became frustrated and gave up. I recently discovered pastry mats, decided to buy one to help me with my crust making issues and am anxious to tackle pizza crusts again.

So now I need an easy pizza crust recipe. Does anyone know of one for a beginner? I did see a few on here that looked easy, but they still looked intimidating. Then there's the fact that I only have a small food processor and some of these recipes call for a regular sized food processor.

I should mention that I also have issues with pie crusts, so I must be crust impaired or something. It's actually kind of pathetic because my great grandmother was a pie crust expert.

[buckytom]

that's a large part the reason for this site.

you can ask questions and discuss things about cooking (and other things in life - see the motto) to get responses that are more tailored to your particular needs than you would get through searching the web.

mj1, i can't help you with the pizza dough recipe, but i'm sure someone will be along by the morning with help.

[I_M_Baker]

1 cup of warm water
3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus another 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast

In a medium sized bowl pour in the warm water then add the salt and honey. Mix well and add yeast. Let stand for approximately 10 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the yeast mixture, then gradually add flour to the oil-yeast mixture, stirring until it comes together as a ball. Put dough on a floured surface and knead, adding small bits of additional flour if the dough is sticky, until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes. Coat the dough thoroughly with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Return to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and let dough rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down, then let rise again. Preheat oven to 450 F. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle a little bit of flour on top, then shape the dough into a circle by stretching it from the center out. Use a flour dusted rolling pin to to roll the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Place dough on a lightly greased pizza stone or tray. Prick the surface of the dough five or six times with a fork, to let air escape while dough is baking and to avoid air bubbles. You can substitute corn meal for the flour during the stretching and shaping steps to get a pizzeria taste. Top with your toppings and cook for 20-30 min.

[Addie]

Be patient. Making pizza dough doesn't happen in just five minutes. I sing when I am kneading dough for anything. Just make sure your dough no longer sticks to your hands and is smooth before you try to work with it. Making dough for any purpose can be very therapeutic if you let it.

When my children were small, they would sit at the table watching me do the kneading. I used to recite nursery rhymes to them. My youngest one I would spell words and he would have to figure out what the words were. Then we would go on to simple math. It doesn't have to be a chore. Start out with a positive attitude. "Today I am going to make the greatest pizza dough."

[roadfix]

I used to go to Trader Joe's for their fresh pizza dough. I still do from time to time.

[Kayelle]

Originally Posted by roadfix

I used to go to Trader Joe's for their fresh pizza dough. I still do from time to time.

Von's grocery has fresh pizza dough also, and I like it better than Trader Joe's. Many super markets carry it now mj1. It's fresh and comes in a plastic bag all ready to make a pizza with toppings of your choice.

[lyndalou]

I buy Publix bread dough to make pizza.

[salt and pepper]

MJ,
After reading your post, and since my kitchen aid mixer is broken at the moment, I decided to make dough by hand.
I can say from the start it was not something I would like to do often!
I mixed 1 cup of warm water with a tsp of yeast and a Tbls sugar. Added 1 cup of flour and mixed well, then added 1 tsp sea salt. Notice I add the salt after adding the flour so it doesn't have a chance to attack the yeast! Next I mixed in more flour until a nice dough ball was formed. No, I did not measure the flour, just mixed in enough to get the dough to where it was pliable. Somewhere around 2 1/2 - 3 cups. Once it came together, I kneaded the dough for 20 minutes pounding and slapping the dough throughout the kneading. Oiled a bowl and let rise , covered, for 2 1/2 hours.Punched it down and let it rise for another 2 hours, then rolled it into a 16 inch round. Brushed it with olive oil, seasoned it with dried basil and added tomato sauce,mozz cheese, and toped it with caramelized onion and mushrooms. Baked in a 550 degree pre heated oven on a stone until done.
It was a beautiful looking pie with a nice looking crust. I did take a pic, but it didn't turn out! Any way it was time to dig in. The taste was pretty good but the texture of the crust was a little disappointing. The middle of the crust was fine, but the bottom was pretty tough. And it was heavy too! All I could put down was 2 slices!
The bottom line in my opinon is to get hold of a stand mixer. When mixing my dough in a mixer, I mix the dough for at least 30 minutes, let the dough rise for 4 hours, and punch it down and rise for another 2 hours before streaching or rolling.
Then again I use a somewhat different dough recipe too.

[Juniper]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I am a father of 2 who love to cook for the family and I am glad to have found this wonderful forum.

I have a quick question about pizza topping.

Do you put your topping (e.g mushroom, salami etc) before or after shredded cheese?

Beside tomato based pizza sauce, is there any other type of sauce that will go well with pizza?

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Hi, I am new to this forum. I am a father of 2 who love to cook for the family and I am glad to have found this wonderful forum.

I have a quick question about pizza topping.

Do you put your topping (e.g mushroom, salami etc) before or after shredded cheese?

Beside tomato based pizza sauce, is there any other type of sauce that will go well with pizza?

I live in an Italian town and have never seen any other than tomato based sauce. And the cheese has always gone on the very top. Sauce, toppings, then shredded cheese.

[Juniper]

Originally Posted by Addie

I live in an Italian town and have never seen any other than tomato based sauce. And the cheese has always gone on the very top. Sauce, toppings, then shredded cheese.

Thanks.

Sometime, i do mix them up a little. Being an asian, i do like to put some white onion and cut chilli (about 1/3 inch thick) on top of the cheese as I like them a little char grilled.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Juniper

Thanks.

Sometime, i do mix them up a little. Being an asian, i do like to put some white onion and cut chilli (about 1/3 inch thick) on top of the cheese as I like them a little char grilled.

There is no "carved in stone" rules regarding what goes on a pizza. It is all personal choice. In Hawaii, they put pineapple on theirs along with Spam.

[CharlieD]

mj1, where are you, anywhere close Target, they have special for Pizza yeast with the recipe on the back of the package, it is 30 minute Pizza from start to end. Doesn't get any easier.

[chopper]

2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups flour (I use a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose)

As far as when to put the cheese on, I usually cheese it, put on toppings, and put a little more cheese on top.

[Andy M.]

You can usually buy pizza dough from a pizza place.

[Addie]

Or any supermarket. Specially if they have an in house bakery.

[CharlieD]

Juniper, there is in fact a white sauce for Pizza, but I have never made it, but the one I had while in Rome was awesome. As far as order of things yes usually it is sauce, stuff, cheese, however being, just like you a father, of 5 who cooks, in a hurry I have made mistakes and put cheese first and then the toppings. Haven't had anybody complain. So if once in a while you put the cheese instead of toppings or toppings instead of cheese, I am sure your family will still be happy.

[powerplantop]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

mj1, where are you, anywhere close Target, they have special for Pizza yeast with the recipe on the back of the package, it is 30 minute Pizza from start to end. Doesn't get any easier.

I may have to pick up some of that. Got a project I am working on (crawfish stuffed bread) and do not want to spend all day working a dough.

[Juniper]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

Juniper, there is in fact a white sauce for Pizza, but I have never made it, but the one I had while in Rome was awesome. As far as order of things yes usually it is sauce, stuff, cheese, however being, just like you a father, of 5 who cooks, in a hurry I have made mistakes and put cheese first and then the toppings. Haven't had anybody complain. So if once in a while you put the cheese instead of toppings or toppings instead of cheese, I am sure your family will still be happy.

thats so very true. a little improvisation will always keep things interesting.

As for the pizza dough, I usually add some mix herbs into the flour before I add the dough mixture to give the pizza bread a little herb aroma. my kid really loves it.

May I know what sort of pizza sauce do you guys put on your pizza? Do you used to ready made from cans or do you have some special way of making your own?

[buckytom]

italian american pizza sauce is usually a little on the sweet side here in nyc, and often contains a good amount of oregano and basil, but not much else.

unless the pizza makers are originally from the other side of the adriatic. i've found "yugoslav" pizzas are heavy on herbs (oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.) and are more acidic.

i prefer the italian american style.