Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sponge Starter for Pizza and the Dough Recipe

PIZZA DOUGH SPONGE STARTER

Makes one 16" pie. Start this the morning you are making the pizza.

Pizza Dough Starter

1 TB Honey

1 tsp dry yeast

1 Cup Warm Water

1 & 1/2 Cups Bread or Unbleached Flour.

In a large bowl mix yeast and honey in warm water before stirring in the flour until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and forget about it until you are ready to make the dough 2 hours or so before placing the pie in the oven.

PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

I tsp salt dissolved in a TB warm water

2 TB Olive or Canola Oil

Flour enough to make a kneadable dough.

Dissolve the salt in the water TB of water and add to the sponge along with the oil.
Mix well before adding the flour a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well until the dough forms a ball and leaves the sides of the bowl.

Remove dough from bowl and start kneading at least 100 turns adding more flour as kneaded. This should be a slightly sticky soft dough. Now oil a bowl and place the dough inside, make sure the surface of the dough has oil on it. Let it rise at least and hour before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Oil spray and sprinkle the perforated pizza pan with corn meal. Now roll the dough into a 18" circle before transferring to the pizza pan. It will shrink after that so stretch to fit pan. Spray dough with olive oil.

I always place the pound of whole milk Mozzarella on first then add a Cup and 1/4 of Pizza sauce in a circular motion. (Like the Grotto does)Then I add my favorite toppings before baking for 20 minutes until cheese turns a nice light golden brown.


BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA ****

Make the dough as directed, but at least an hour before you bake the pizza cut two boneless skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise and bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Let cool before slicing thinly in bite sized peaces. Let the chicken soak in 1 Cup Hot sauce, add 1/4 cup more of you like a wet pie. If the sauce is runny like Crystal's thicken for a minute over medium heat with a TB cornstarch in a small pot before adding the chicken pieces.

After placing the dough on the pizza pan, and spraying with oil, add 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese. Now carefully distribute the chicken pieces making sure to scrape all the sauce out of the bowl and dripping on pie. Now add the other 8 OZ of cheese before baking at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. This is a family favorite!

NOTE: I wonder how it would taste if I dipped each bite into blue cheese dressing?

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