Pretty much my Italian bread recipe, sometimes I add herbs to the dough
4 to 6 cups bread flour (depends on how much crust you want 2 cups for one base)
2 cups water (or whey is even better - beer or ale also work)
1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt
About 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar (to raise yeast)
herb and garlic optional (use dried or fresh)
I use a bread machine and put thing in the order the current machine calls for - you also get wonderful crusts by using sour dough, that's a bit trickier but any recipe for dough Italian or French bread will do. For Italian bread, you can just add the olive oil to most French bread recipes - I find it makes better dough than if I leave it out.
Press out dough with fingers by stretching into a pizza pan or cookie sheet - for thin pizza use a rolling pin and as little dough as you can for slightly thicker to thick cut pizza use the push down with the fingers method.
My family prefers the bases precooked so I cook them about 12 minutes in a hot oven, put on topics and then cook another 12 minutes.
You do not need to let these rise unless you want a deep pan pizza - also you can make these even without yeast but they are a bit heavy, the texture is better with the yeast and allowing the dough to rise once, just don't let it raise to high before baking the pizza.
expatriate Californian living in rural Ireland with husband, dogs, horses. garden and many, many cats
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Originally Posted by Disastercat
