Fun Pizza Crusts

I’ve been adding stuff to my pizza dough lately.  It may be overkill, given that the sauces and toppings are what a pizza is all about, but if I have fun doing it-why not?

Tonight’s dough got thyme, red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, and fennel seeds.  The candidates for inclusion are limited only by whether they might taste good on a pizza.  The dough recipe isn’t anything special or “to die for”.  You can find hundreds of “the best dough ever” recipes-just pick one and go with it.  I put this one together on the fly, some sourdough starter, perhaps a half cup, then a tablespoon of sugar and one of yeast, about a cup of water, four cups of flour, a half tablespoon of salt, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and the additions mentioned above.  Mix in the stand mixer for ten minutes, then a turn in a greased bowl for a first rise.  After the first doubling, divide into eight portions, form them roughly into balls, and let them rise again, covered, on a tray.

I roll them out on a plastic mat.  Let them rest for a few minutes after a first roll to relax a bit, then finish rolling.  I manage to get them to about ten inches in diameter.  Poke holes all over with a fork or they may balloon out like pocket bread.

I “par bake” them on a stone in a 375 oven for about two minutes a side.  You don’t really want them to brown, they will finish cooking when you use them for a pizza.  I let the first one tonight get too brown, I had the oven a bit high, and left it a wee bit too long.

They are ready to use right away-freeze what you don’t use for a quick pizza anytime!

Enjoy!

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