PIZZA CRUST
I have always been a fan of thin pizza crust. There are a couple of reasons.
- I don’t have to wait around for the dough to rise.
- I don’t fill up on the extra “bread” with a thick crust.
- In less than 15 minutes, it’s topped and ready to go.
- It cooks on the grill beautifully!
No matter what you prefer for toppings, a good recipe for thin pizza crust can handle them all. I like to prepare mine on the grill, but the oven is just as handy if weather is an issue. For the grill, I preheat it on high and turn it every 7 minutes for even cooking. It takes a bit longer, but is ready in less than 20 minutes. For the oven, use a pizza stone and preheat to 475 degrees. It is ready is less than 10 minutes. In both cases, I start the pizza out on a pizza pan, then after it has firmed up for half the cooking time, I transfer it to the pizza stone or directly onto the grill rack. Prepared either way, you’ve got the basis of a great pizza with this crust.
Thin Pizza Crust
Yield: 8 pieces
3/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
In the water, stir in the yeast and sugar until dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1-3/4 cups of the flour with the salt in a mixing bowl, making a well in the center. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the remaining flour on a pastry cloth and set aside. Add the yeast mixture to the mixing bowl and stir until the dough comes together. Transfer to the pastry cloth and sprinkle the dough lightly with a tablespoon of the remaining flour. Knead until smooth, for about 2 minutes, sprinkling with any remaining flour if the dough becomes sticky. Roll to a 12-inch circle and transfer to a greased pizza pan. Top and bake or grill.
Haute Flavor 