Since my bread-maker is officially a goner, I had to make pizza crust without a bread-maker (*looks shocked*).
I had to make pizza crust because it was my sister’s birthday and they ALWAYS ask for pizza. I’m not kidding. Always.
A little originality here, please?
Whatever. I don’t have anything against pizza. Just the work. And time and time again I’ve attempted to enslave my little siblings to help, but since they happen to hate grating cheese and cutting up toppings, well…Yeah. It’s not really happening, unless if someone is present as slave-driver.
And guess what?? My sister, who was supposed to help me with the crust? Gone. I swore to be very angry with her.
Almost an hour late, she appeared in the doorway with a large box.
“Linnaea, I think this is your saddle!”
Yeah, I ordered a saddle so that I don’t get bucked off…
But anyway, when my sister first entered with the saddle, it was a peace offering. I told her how near she’d come to death. She was grateful, of course.
Okay, so here’s the new pizza crust recipe. I promise that it’s soft and fluffy and delicious. But that soft fluffy deliciousness comes with a small price: I hope you don’t mind rather wet-ish dough?
Okay, good. Then it’s not a problem.
I doubled this recipe, by the way, which made me six big pizzas (that was enough for lunch the next day as well). But I don’t suppose you have a family of nine?
Yeah, I didn’t think so. This should be a little more convenient.
- --YEAST INGREDIENTS--
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- --DRY INGREDIENTS--
- 1 ¾ cup rice flour, plus ½ cup more to be added later
- ¾ cup cornstarch (you can also use tapioca starch or potato starch)
- ¼ cup milk powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- optional: 3tbsp pizza seasonings
- --WET INGREDIENTS--
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large free range organic eggs
- ¼ cup warm water
- --FOR KNEADING AND ROLLING DOUGH--
- About 1 cup of cornstarch (or tapioca starch/potato starch)
- --TOPPING--(Use this topping recipe or just throw whatever you want on! Even better, have a pizza making party with friends.)
- NOTE: For our large family we double the recipe. But this will top three pizzas.
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cans tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons pizza seasonings
- 1 can of olives
- 1 pineapple
- 1 red or green pepper
- 1 large block mozzarella cheese
- --FOR THE CRUST--
- Grease three pizza pans or baking sheets with butter.
- Turn oven to WARM.
- Put your cup of cornstarch in a bowl and set this on the table next to your pizza pans.
- Whisk the yeast ingredients together in a metal bowl, then place them in the oven to proof. See how to proof yeast for more information.
- Turn the oven to OFF as soon as you put the yeast in to proof.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in another small bowl.
- Blend the wet ingredients together in a large bowl with your electric mixer.
- Pour the yeast ingredients, fully proofed, into the wet ingredients and blend until mixed.
- Turn the blender to low and slowly pour the dry ingredients into the mixture. Turn mixer to medium speed and blend for one minute.
- Stop blending, and allow the mix to set for one minute. Meanwhile, turn the oven back on to the WARM setting.
- Add the extra ½ cup rice flour and ¼ cup cornstarch to the mix and beat until just blended.
- Coating your hands in the cornstarch in the bowl, remove ⅓ of the dough for each pan and place on the pan. Using as much cornstarch as you need, flatten the dough out until it is about ¼ inch thick or less. The dough will be rather sticky, but this is necessary for a nice fluffy crust. If you use lots of cornstarch while smoothing it out it's not so bad.
- Turn the oven to OFF.
- Allow the crusts to rise in the oven (which is OFF), for the next half hour while you prepare your toppings (topping ideas below).
- As soon as the crusts are done rising, top with preferred toppings, and cook for forty-five minutes at 375 degrees F until crusts are light brown. Do not go lower than a rack in the center of the oven, because if you are lower the bottom of the crust will burn before the top can cook.
- --FOR THE TOPPINGS--
- On the stove, cook the ground beef, then add the tomato paste, water, and pizza seasonings. Turn the stove-top to warm and let the sauce sit until you are ready to use it. If you won’t be using it within three hours, refrigerate.
- While the ground beef is cooking, chop up the olives, pineapple, and pepper. Place each in a separate bowl and let sit until use. Grate the mozzarella cheese.
- When the pizza crusts have risen, spread the sauce onto the crusts, then add the olives, pineapple, and pepper. Sprinkle on the cheese, then cook the pizzas (directions above).
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