Thick Crust or Pan Pizza Dough

From: Joel.Ehrlich@salata.com (Joel Ehrlich) Date: Sun, 23 Oct 1994 21:52:00 +0000 Here are the three basic pizza dough styles. They use the same dough. The variations are intended to accommodate the current trend to different styles and thicknesses of pizza crust. Note: these are basic recipes and are intended to used as the basis for personalizing. (See also "Regular Crust Pizza Dough" and "Deep Dish Pizza Dough" recipes.) NOTE: The differences between a Pan Pizza and a Thick Crust Pizza are the thickness of the crust and the fact that a Pan Pizza is baked in a Pizza Pan with deep (2-2 1/2") sides and a Thick Crust Pizza is NOT baked in a pan but on a stone or a tile in the oven (and then put in a pan to serve). Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (if planning a Thick Crust Pizza, place the stone or tile in the oven to heat). Dissolve the yeast in the warm (105 degrees-115 degrees) water. Wait until the mixture foams (about 5 minutes). Combine the flour and yeast in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture. Add the olive oil. Add the parmesan. Mix thoroughly. Turn the dough out onto a well floured board. Knead until smooth (about 10 minutes). Place the dough in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Punch the dough down and roll out on a well floured board. Roll to 3/4" thickness for Thick Crust Pizza or 2" thickness for a Pan Pizza. Brush the dough generously with olive oil. THICK CRUST: Lightly oil a (14") pizza pan. Sprinkle some cornmeal onto the pan. Form the dough into a pie using the pan. Place the sauce(s) and topping(s) on the dough, leaving the outer 1/2" bare. Remove the pie from the pizza pan. Use a paddle to place the dough on the stone. PAN PIZZA: Lightly oil the pizza pan. Sprinkle some cornmeal in the bottom of the pan. Press the dough into place in the pan, pressing it down into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Add the sauce(s), seasoning(s) and topping(s), leaving the outermost 1/2" bare. Place in the preheated oven. BOTH: Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden. Use a paddle to remove the Thick Crust Pizza from the oven and place it on a serving pan. Use hot pads to remove the Pan Pizza from the oven. Serve. REC.FOOD.RECIPES ARCHIVES From rec.food.cooking archives. Downloaded from G Internet, G Internet.