Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (23 page)
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Authors: Nancy Baggett
Tags: #Cooking
KS Quotient
Super-Easy: A minimum of ingredients, mixed all at once. Easy hand-shaping.
This is a simple, easy to handle, and virtually foolproof pizza dough calling for the most basic and economical supplies—yeast, salt, olive oil, and all-purpose flour. Some recipes call for a high-gluten flour, but I like regular flour better. The flat, thin layer doesn't need the extra gluten for support and the dough is more tender and much easier to stretch and shape without it. Because relatively little gluten development is necessary, the dough also requires less "micro-kneading" time than usual. After 4 to 12 hours on the countertop, it is ready to use, refrigerate, or freeze until needed.
The recipe makes enough dough for two 11- to 12-inch pizzas. If desired, freeze one or both dough portions for up to a month. Use
each
dough portion for one traditional
Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Pizza
, or for another pizza of your own choosing. For your convenience, I've also provided my pizza sauce recipe, although you can, of course, substitute any tomato-based sauce desired.
Yield: 2 11-12 inch pizza
3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus more as needed
Generous 1¼ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
Scant 1½ cups ice water, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing over dough and pans
First Rise
In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir in the water, scraping down the sides, just until thoroughly blended. Stir in the olive oil until evenly incorporated. If the mixture is too dry to mix, add in just enough water to facilitate mixing, as the dough should be firm. If the dough is soft, stir in enough more flour to firm it. Brush the top with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 4 to 12 hours.
Second Rise
Stir the dough to deflate it. Divide it in half using oiled kitchen shears. The dough portions can be used immediately; or refrigerated for up to 12 hours and then used; or frozen, wrapped airtight, for up to 1 month. Use each half to prepare one pizza, following the recipe for
Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Pizza
or another recipe of your choosing.
KS Quotient
Super-Easy: Quick; simple hand-shaping required.
Traditionalists insist that only a little cooked tomato sauce and soft, fresh mozzarella should top the classic version called Pizza Margherita. Since I really like to add some black olives, too, I'll just say that my version is an almost but not quite authentic Pizza Margherita. If you feel you'll miss the meatiness of typical American pies, I won't tell if you replace the olives with thinly sliced pepperoni or hard sausage as well. Just don't overload on extras or your pizza won't crisp as it should. Also, if at all possible, use fresh mozzarella; it will instantly raise the quality of your pie to gourmet.
Note that the recipe is designed so you can ready your pizza on a 12-inch pizza pan or a sheet of baking parchment. The dough, along with its pan or parchment, is then slipped onto a preheated baking sheet set on the lowest rack of the oven. This crisps the crust and eliminates any chance of sogginess, yet obviates the need for a pizza stone or baking tiles. (It's fine to use them if you have them, of course.) Once the dough is puffed and partly baked, add the toppings, then slip the pie back into the oven for its final turn. The result will assure your reputation as a first-rate pizza maker.
Yield: One 11½- to 12-inch pizza
½ recipe
Neapolitan-Style Pizza Dough
, ready for the second rise
1/3 recipe
Herbed Cooked Tomato Pizza Sauce
, or ¾ cup homemade or store-bought tomato-based pizza sauce, at room temperature
¼ cup coarsely sliced (pitted) black Kalamata, Niçoise, or other flavorful brined black olives, optional
4 to 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Second Rise
Place the dough portion on a 12-inch lightly oiled pizza pan or a large sheet of nonstick spray—coated baking parchment. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then press and stretch the dough into an 11½- to 12-inch round with oiled fingertips; if it is resistant and springs back, let it rest for a few minutes before continuing. The shape doesn't have to be perfect, but be sure to push the dough outward to slightly build up and thicken the edges (which would burn if too thin). Set aside to rise, tented with nonstick spray—coated foil, for 25 to 45 minutes, depending on whether you prefer a thin, slightly dense crust, or a lighter, medium-thick one.
Baking Preliminaries
20 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lowest slot of the oven; preheat to 500°F. Place a rimless baking sheet (or place a rimmed sheet upside down) on the lowest rack.
Baking
Place the pizza pan with the dough (or the dough on the parchment) on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the dough begins to firm and puff up. Remove from the oven and spread the sauce to within 1/3 inch of the edge all around. Add the olives, if using, and the mozzarella slices evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake until the top is bubbly and the edge is puffy and nicely browned, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Serving and StoringServe hot; cut into wedges with kitchen shears or a pizza wheel. Reheat, wrapped in foil, in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or under a microwave-safe plastic cover on medium power for a minute or so. Store airtight and refrigerated for 2 to 3 days, or frozen, airtight, for up to a week. Thaw before reheating.
KS Quotient
Easy: Simple ingredients, easily prepared. Make ahead, if desired.
The simplest Italian pizza sauces feature fresh, full-flavored, uncooked tomatoes, but when genuine, garden-ripened tomatoes can't be had, a homemade cooked sauce made from good-quality canned tomatoes is the best alternative. It is so much better than bought, yet is easy and inexpensive and for convenience can be readied far ahead.
This recipe makes enough for three 11- to 12-inch pizzas, so I like to divide it into three ready-to-use, freezable portions. Let frozen portions of sauce thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the countertop for 2 to 4 hours. For the crispest crust, be sure the sauce is at room temperature before topping the dough with it.
Yield: Enough to top three 11- to 12-inch pizzas
1 tablespoon good-quality olive oil
½ teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic, or 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 can (28 ounces) fine-quality crushed tomatoes, preferably imported Italian
2 teaspoons
each
dried oregano and dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon good-quality balsamic vinegar, optional
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon
each
salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Combine the oil and garlic or onion in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute for garlic or 2 minutes for onion. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and thyme. Adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the sauce is cooked down and thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, if using, and salt and pepper. Use immediately, or refrigerate for later use.
StorageKeeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
