The perfection of pizza crust

Since the beginning of the summer, hubby and I have teamed up to make barbecued pizza perfection (at least for us), so I thought it would be worth sharing my method in case you are like me and refuse to turn on the oven on a hot day, but still like Pizza Fridays.

This method also works if you are baking the crust, btw.

I use my stand mixer, I first warm the bowl with hot water. I also use a candy thermometer to measure the water temperature to 110°F, so that the yeast forms every time.

I always add 2 cups of whole wheat flour to the recipe, but that's my preference. The stand mixer with a bread dough attachment easily handles the flour. After it's all mixed in, I just make sure all the flour is incorporated by folding the dough over in the bowl a few times. Then I cover it with plastic wrap and pop it into the oven with the light on for about an hour.

And this is what I get. Perfect every time. When I "punch" it down (just pushing on it causes the air to come out and it sinks down), I divide the dough into 3 pieces (we like thinner, crispier crust, but if you like a thicker more bread-like crust, divide in half) and put the other two into zipper bags and right into the freezer. When you go to use them, just thaw them in the fridge. They will rise yet again as they thaw. Who said yeast is delicate? (Ah, that would have been me, but I'm over it now.)

This next part is my patented technique that I think is genius! Use a large piece of parchment paper (larger than the pizza crust), liberally sprinkle it with flour (even more than what's in this picture. I use a marble roller because the weight makes it easier, and the coldness of the marble works well with traditional pie crust.

If you have a non-slip silicone mat, put that under the parchment so it doesn't slip. The beauty of homemade crust is that the irregular shape makes it look more rustic. Honestly, it's not lack of skill...

Roll the crust up with the parchment to make it easy to unroll directly onto the barbecue grill. Parchment paper doesn't burn easily, so you can leave it on while you toast it for 3 minutes on one side, then gently peel it off before flipping it over and toasting it on the other side.

This method allows a nice crust to form, so that it stays crispy. We use our pizza stone (unheated) and put the partially baked crust onto it before building the pizza. Then bake according to my recipes, or yours. The stone keeps the crust from burning, but you could easily use a baking sheet if you don't have one. However, if you are baking in the oven, I would highly recommend a pizza stone for a crispy crust that is instantly sealed by the hot stone.

If you are baking the pizza, you don't need to partially bake the crust first. Instead, heat the pizza stone in the oven until it reaches 450°F. While the stone is heating, use the exact method above with the parchment, but build your pizza on the unrolled crust and place the parchment and crust onto the hot stone. Bake according to my recipes, or yours.

The result is freaking amazing! A truly crispy crust, with great taste and dead easy.

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Perfect Pizza Crust

Delicious homemade dough is easier than you think, and it’s soooo much better than takeout. Makes 3 large thin crusts, 2 large regular crusts.

1 tbsp                                      sugar

2 tsp                                         yeast

2 cups                                      warm water (between 105 and 115°F)

1-1/2 tsp                                  salt

1 tbsp                                       olive oil

2 cups                                       whole-wheat flour

3 cups                                       all-purpose flour

For perfect rising yeast dough every time, follow these heartbreak-saving steps:

1.     Warm the bowl of your stand mixer with hot water before beginning.

2.     Use a candy thermometer to make sure your water is between 105 and 115°F.

3.     When the dough is mixed and kneaded, cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the oven with the light on. On cold days, you can turn the oven onto warm while mixing the dough; turn it off when you put the dough in to rise and leave the light on.

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, mix the warm water, sugar, yeast, oil salt and flour together. Using the bread hook on your mixer, knead on low until the dough no longer sticks. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (If you don’t have time to allow the to dough rise, you can continue from here. The dough will not be as airy and light, but it still works well.)

When the dough has doubled, gently push it down to remove the air, scraping it out of the mixing bowl and onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half or thirds (depending on whether you want a thin or regular crust) and freeze the remainder. Shape the remaining dough into a ball and begin to roll into a circular shape, turning dough, adding more flour underneath if necessary, so that it doesn’t stick to the counter.

Top and bake according to your recipe.

 Printable Perfect Pizza Crust