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Except for the time I did the overnight no knead artisan bread recipe in a dutch oven from the NYT, my yeast breads are never as "chewy" as I'd like - especially the pizza dough. I'm wondering if its because I'm not actually working it enough to get the texture I like. Do any of you make bread?

Amado wrote:Except for the time I did the overnight no knead artisan bread recipe in a dutch oven from the NYT, my yeast breads are never as "chewy" as I'd like - especially the pizza dough. I'm wondering if its because I'm not actually working it enough to get the texture I like. Do any of you make bread?

I usually make it from the overnight dough, but have made it from kneaded dough and yes, I think longer rising and more kneading does make for a thicker crust and a chewier dough because the gluten develops longer strands. I also seldom add any oil, or milk, or eggs, so it's usually just all purpose flour, yeast, salt and water.

I don't like pizza dough as chewy so try not to knead it as much. It also helps considerably to spread it out on oiled pan and then let it rest for 15 minutes and then it'll spread out even more without such a fight.

It also helps to add extra gluten (if you don't want to wait over night).

Nope, I am addicted to my take and bake pizza places!

I am a pizza snob. I make my own crust and sauce. I use 00 flour for the crust. I make it one day and put it in the refrigerator overnight. I bring it out the next day and let it sit on the counter a couple of hours. I put it on a pizza stone to bake. I have a picture of it, but have no idea how to post it here.

When I make pizza dough with flour, I use the dough cycle on my bread machine. The result is pretty good.

This summer I've been making a crust with a shredded zucchini base, in an effort to use up the abundance of squash. I would never mistake it for a "normal" pizza, but it is a good vehicle for getting good sauce, chopped vegies, and cheese into my mouth!

Rockabilly wrote:I am a pizza snob. I make my own crust and sauce. I use 00 flour for the crust. I make it one day and put it in the refrigerator overnight. I bring it out the next day and let it sit on the counter a couple of hours. I put it on a pizza stone to bake. I have a picture of it, but have no idea how to post it here.

Where do you get your 00 flour?

The only way for me to get the 00 flour around here is to order it online. I ordered it from Amazon.

I use the olive oil pizza dough recipe from the book Artisan Bread in 5 minuets a day -- it's a no knead dough (and I also use the 00 flour from Italy (via Amazon) it seems to be much more elastic ... and bakes on a pizza stone in 5-6 minutes @550 if it isn't too thick.

I have probably made a few ten thousand or so balls of pizza dough. I was a baker that supplied the dough for a pizzeria.

Anyway, as I used a 70 quart mixer I don't think anyone wants that particular recipe, and I'd be shot if I gave it out anyway.

Basically it was a high quality high gluten dough, regular rise yeast, a bit of sugar, a bit of molasses, salt and some olive oil.

I would use ice cold water to make the dough as the mixing process would warm the dough enough by itself. I'd mix until the gluten would just barely begin to snap. Then I'd portion the dough, pull it into a ball and freeze them immediately. Once thawed the balls would be usable for a few days, any longer than that they would over proof and be too flabby to toss.

The dough made a great thin crust pizza and was stretchy enough to be able to be tossed well.

Like Canyon I have made it in the bread machine on the pizza dough setting.

It is easy and decent.
But I am learning some things from this thread.

Like Rockabilly, I am also a pizza dough snob! Actually, the thought of one of us in west Tennessee and one of us in east Tennessee being snobby about pizza dough makes me giggle

FWIW, I find the flavor is enhanced when I incorporate some levain from my DH's sourdough starter. I am also a fan of 00 flour and incorporating some semolina. But unlike the OP, I like a very thin, crispy pizza. So probably don't listen to me!!!

One nice reference for pizza dough is The Village Baker by Joe Ortiz. Great bread book.

p.s. I also make a foccacia-style dough sometimes for "hippy-style" chewy pizza. That is so different from real pizza that it needs another name...but some big crust pizza-lovers are very into it.

I follow SmittenKitchen's slow-rise pizza dough recipe. She has adjustments for 6-8, 12 and 18-24 hour versions (the amount of yeast varies). Basically mix and leave until you want to use it. Lovely recipe.

I make my own sourdough pizza dough.
My non-sourdough pizza dough tends to be questionable, though...

I do, and I use the bread machine on the dough setting to mix and proof the dough, then I punch and roll or stretch to desired shape/thickness.

I gave my bread machine away years ago. Got tired of trying to find space to store it, and every time I made a loaf, I'd eat it all waaay too quickly. WIth butter and honey...!

Thanks for all of the suggestions! (what the heck is 00 flour?)

I am reviving this thread because today for lunch I used my new 00 flour which I got off Amazon! It made the perfect pizza crust! I have been working hard to get that exact crust and was finally able to do so today. YAY for Amazon for carrying it and YAY for Rockabilly for letting me know they did!

OH….I am thinking I need to order some 00 flour from Amazon….does King Arthur have 00 flour? Off to look….

I think the Knight of Columbus Hall behind my house make a great pizza. No need for me to try when they do a great job with the crust.

Yeah, but you have seen where I live Gypsy. There's nothing behind my house but woods