New York Style Pizza Crust (for Texans)

Here is your never-miss medium to thin crust pizza crust. The original recipe calls this "New York Style", but my bunch give it the Texas touch with the ingredients, which can be pretty much anything you want.

A pizza is a wonderfully versatile place to put all kinds of delicious stuff from meat to veggies to fruits and fruits masquerading as vegetables. Be creative. Add some jalepenos and cheddar, some spinach and goat cheese. Whatever you want. Make up a bunch of dough balls and have a make-your-own pizza party. You are only limited by your imagination.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup warm water – 110° to 115°
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2¼ cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

Directions:

1. Put all the dry ingredients except the yeast and cornmeal into a mixing bowl
2. Put the yeast into the warm water and whisk to blend.  Allow it to sit for 10 or 15 minutes till it starts to bubble.
3. Add liquid and any sediment in the cup to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix with dough hook or knead by hand till you have a smooth dough ball. Add flour if needed till dough is just barely not sticky to touch.
4. Flatten dough on a very lightly oiled (olive oil is best) pizza baking sheet or pizza stone with a rolling pin or twirl it in the air or press it flat with your fingers (technique will depend on your pizza crust making skill.
5. Spread the dough to make a 12 to 14 inch circular crust.  You can make it 16 inches if you like a cracker thin crust and you've got a good rolling pin.
6. Preheat oven to 500°.  While the oven is heating add pizza sauce, cheese and toppings.  
7. Bake on bottom or middle rack of the oven till crust browns at the edges and cheese bubbles.

Makes enough crust for one 12-16 inch pizza


Tom King © 2013