thin, crispy pizza

thin to win

We have a new favorite pizza dough at our house. We like thin, crispy pizza but this is been difficult to achieve in a home oven. I tried this strange recipe from The Bread Bible and loved the results so much that we've stuck with this same dough for months. Here's a little photo story:

You start by barely mixing the dough, just till it moistens the flour and gets scrappy - no kneading!



Then pour oil in a cup, roll the dough in it, cover and rise.



Then plop your science experiment brain on the counter.



Then use your fingertips to lightly push it into a circle, very thin.



After baking, this crust is so crispy that it stands up on its own. No drooping, no folding the slice in half to eat it.



Just look at that golden underside.



Recipe: Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust

Adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

In medium bowl, combine:
4 ounces AP flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Pour in:
1/3 cup water, room temperature

Gradually stir in the flour into the water until all the flour is moistened and a dough just begins to form, about 20 seconds. It will be rough looking, not silky smooth. Do not overmix!

In a small bowl, pour
4 tsp olive oil

Add the dough and turn it over to coat with oil on all sides. Cover and rise at room temperature for about an hour or until double in size. (For better flavor, let dough sit 30 mins at room temperature then put in fridge for 6-24 hours. Remove dough from fridge 1 hour before shaping).

Preheat oven to 475F (220C) with pizza stone. Put dough on parchment paper or baking pan. Press the dough into a smooth round then let rest 15 mins. Press dough further into 10-inch circle. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30-45 mins until it becomes slightly puffy.

Bake pizza dough (without toppings) for 5 mins.

Remove pizza from oven. Add toppings. Bake for another 5 mins or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.

Time: Mix 5 min, rise 1 hour, shape & rest 15 mins, rise 30-45 mins, bake 10 mins = 2+ hours

One caveat: my friend tried it and didn't like it. But she cooked hers on a silpat on a pan, not on a pizza stone. So I suspect her result was quite different from mine.