Awesome Bread Machine Pizza

 

So, it has taken me a few tries but I have finally found a great pizza dough recipe for the bread machine. Making pizza from scratch is so simple and frugal. Once you get started making this pizza for your family, they’re gonna beg for more. With just a little forethought in making the dough (it will take approximately 1 1/2 hours in your bread machine), making a pizza together is a great way to bring the family in on the fun at mealtime.

In making my pizza I use a pizza peel and pizza stone. You can buy both at a fair price in many kitchen gadget stores. You will need to make adjustments to these directions if you will be using a pan. This pizza dough is called “Basic Pizza Dough II” from the book ‘The Ultimate Pizza’ by Pasquale Druno, Jr. :

Makes 1 14-inch pizza shell.

2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)

Place the ingredients into your bread machine in the order shown. Set the machine to it’s “dough cycle” and set some warm water aside. With a small spatula, scrape the sides of your bread machine when the dough sticks. At the end of about 1 minute, if there are still dry flakes left, add water (1 tablespoon at a time) to the dough until a ball is formed. Don’t add too much water, as this will make the dough too sticky. When a nice ball is formed that is not sticking to the sides, close the lid and let your machine do all the work!

When your dough is finished, preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the pizza stone inside. Lightly flour the pizza peel. Flour your hands and remove the dough directly onto the peel. Using flour lightly, pat sticky parts of the dough with your hands. With a floured rolling pin, begin to roll the dough into a circle. My emphasis is light on the flour, or you will have a powdery pizza in the end. When the dough has been spread out a bit, use your fists to stretch the dough lightly. Do this by placing the dough over your fists and letting the dough hang for a second, moving in a circle around the edges and stretching into the desired size. Press with fingers 1/2 inch around the edges. Perforate the dough with a fork all over about 20-30 times.

When the pizza stone has preheated for 1/2 hour, check to see that the dough is sliding easily on the peel. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone with a few quick jerks of the peel. Par-bake the crust for 4 minutes.

Remove the crust with the pizza peel. Top with sauce and any other desired toppings. Some of our favorites: onions, garlic, black olives, mushrooms, cheese, canadian bacon, peperoni, hamburger, chicken, etc. Try to use all pre-cooked toppings when par-baking the crust. Bake another 4-7 minutes until crust is done, toppings are heated, and cheese is melted. Remove with pizza peel and Enjoy!