Cake Tricks

Pizza Dough

3:04 PM

Unknown

Total Time: 1 hr 5 min Prep: 20 min Inactive: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup light red or white wine, Fiano di Avellino
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/2 cups flour

Directions

Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

For individual pizzas or calzones, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and knead into rounds. For one large pizza, knead into 1 large round. For either, let rest for 15 minutes.

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Basic Pizza Dough

2:34 PM

Unknown

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups warm water
1 1/4 ounces package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Measure out 1 3/4 cups warm water (it should be pleasantly warm on your wrist). Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and allow it to activate, about 10 minutes.

Put the salt and 2 cups of the flour into a food processor. Pulse 5 times to blend. Pour in the yeast and water and pulse 5 times. Add the olive oil. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, pulsing and scraping the sides of the bowl until well blended. As soon as the mixture is combined, dump it out onto a well-floured board and knead for 15 turns. The dough will become smooth and elastic-like.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, until doubled in size, and then punch it down.

Divide it in half; each half will make 1 (12-inch) pizza. You can make 2 pizzas, or freeze half the dough for another time. Freeze the dough in a resealable freezer bag. To thaw, remove the bag from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Roll the dough out while cold and then allow it to come to room temperature before adding toppings.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2008

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Basic Pizza Dough

2:34 PM

Unknown

Ingredients

1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon yeast
3 cups flour plus extra for kneading dough
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Mix yeast and 1/4 cup lukewarm water in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The yeast will dissolve and become foamy.

Put the flour, salt, sugar, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder into the bowl of a food processor. Press the pulse button a few times to mix everything together.

Mix the dissolved yeast mixture with 1 cup lukewarm water. Turn the food processor on. Pour the water and yeast into the food processor through the hole in the top. Let the machine run until the dough makes a ball. If the dough is too sticky to make a ball, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it forms a ball. Take the dough out of the processor and knead on a floured countertop until the dough is very smooth.

Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into a medium bowl and swirl it around until the bowl is coated. Place dough ball into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free place. The dough should rise (grow) until it is twice as big as when you put it in the bowl. This should take about 1 hour.

Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl. Using your fist, press all the air out of the dough. The dough is now ready to roll out and prepare according to the pizza recipe directions. (NOTE: You can wrap your dough in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before making pizza.

Recipe courtesy of Riki Senn

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Basic Pizza Dough

2:34 PM

Unknown

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
Pinch sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating bowl
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if necessary
Cornmeal, as necessary, for dusting pizza peel

Directions

In a large bowl combine yeast with water and sugar and stir well to combine. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, olive oil, and half of the flour and mix well to thoroughly combine. Add all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix well with your hands, working to incorporate the flour little by little. The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for at least 5 and up to 7 minutes, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough that is not sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3-quart bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, usually at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.

Divide dough into 2 portions (for 2 (12 to 14-inch) pizzas and form into balls. (See note below for calzones.) Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer dough to a pizza peel (sprinkle with cornmeal to help facilitate moving dough) and top with toppings of choice. Transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake until crispy and golden brown, usually12 to 18 minutes (depending on the toppings and the thickness of the crust). Remove from the oven with a metal peel or spatula and serve immediately.

Note: For calzones, divide the dough into 4 equal portions and form into 4 balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll out into 4 (8-inch) circles. Place filling of choice in the center of 1 side of each circle, then fold dough over filling to meet edges of filled side. Crimp edges with a fork or your fingers, then cut a small slit in the top of the calzone to allow steam to escape while cooking. Cook on a preheated pizza stone or backs of cookie sheets in a preheated 475 degree F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until well-browned. Remove from the oven with a metal peel or spatula and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006

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Mexican Pizza

2:59 AM

Unknown

Total Time: 35 min Prep: 15 min Cook: 20 min
Yield: 4 individual pizzas Level: Easy

Ingredients

1 pound chorizo
1/2 cup medium salsa
4 (8-inch) premade pizza crusts (recommended: Boboli)
1 can black refried beans
1 package 4 cheese Mexican blend
Shredded lettuce
Finely chopped tomatoes
Chopped tortilla chips
Ranch dressing

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, brown chorizo. Add salsa and simmer for 5 minutes. Lay pizza crusts on pizza pan or baking sheet covered in foil. Spread refried black beans over top of pizza crusts. Evenly spread chorizo mixture over beans. Cover in cheese and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and top with lettuce, followed by tomatoes, and then tortilla chips. Place ranch dressing in a resealable plastic bag and snip corner off of bag; pipe over pizzas. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

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Ramen Pizza

2:59 AM

Unknown

Ingredients

2 packages ramen noodles
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grated mozzarella
2 tablespoons Parmesan
16 pepperoni slices

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Separate the ramen noodle blocks into 2 thin ramen squares each (4 thin ramen squares total). Pour 1/4 cup of tomato sauce on each ramen square and top with 1/4 cup mozzarella, 1 1/2 teaspoons Parmesan and 4 slices of pepperoni.

Transfer the ramen pizzas to a baking sheet and bake until the cheese has melted and the edges are a dark golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Katie Lee

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Roman Pizza

2:55 PM

Unknown

Ingredients

2 (8-ounce) pieces of purchased or homemade pizza dough, recipe follows
1/3 cup homemade or purchased marinara sauce
1/3 cup (lightly packed) shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
1 cup (lightly packed) shredded Fontina cheese
2 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
Pizza Dough:
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for bowl

Directions

Position 1 oven rack in the center and the second rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Roll out each piece of pizza dough into a 13 1/2 by 8 1/2-inch rectangle. Transfer to separate large baking sheets.

Spoon the marinara sauce over the pizzas, dividing equally and leaving a 1-inch border around each pizza. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Fontina cheeses over the pizzas, dividing equally. Sprinkle the mushrooms and pancetta over the cheese. Bake the pizzas until the crusts are crisp and brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted on top, about 15 minutes. Cut the pizzas crosswise into rectangular slices and serve immediately.

Pizza Dough:

Mix the warm water and yeast in a small bowl to blend. Let stand until the yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor to blend. Blend in the oil. With the machine running, add the yeast mixture and blend just until the dough forms. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm draft-free area until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 hour. Punch the down dough and form into ball. The dough can be used immediately or stored airtight in the refrigerator for 1 day.

Yield: 1 (16-ounce) ball of pizza dough

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Inactive PrepTime: 1 hour

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis