Sicilian Pizza Dough

"I saw Nick Stellino make this dough and use it to make four calzones. It will also make two pizzas. I've done both and they turn out wonderfully! My key to a great pizza is to slice everything VERY thin and to not pile it on too thick. Our usual pizza is feta, garlic, freshly grated parm, fresh spinach, toasted pine nuts, tomatoes, mushrooms, mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. I highly recommend it!"
 
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photo by jlopiccolo2 photo by jlopiccolo2
photo by jlopiccolo2
photo by Peggy Q. photo by Peggy Q.
photo by Dave O. photo by Dave O.
photo by mew5280 photo by mew5280
photo by ace47appraisal photo by ace47appraisal
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
6
Yields:
2 pizza pies
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Coat a large bowl with teaspoon of olive oil and set aside.
  • Stir first three ingredients together and let sit for 10 minutes, until nice and foamy.
  • Place three cups of flour in large bowl and mix in salt.
  • Place one cup of flour on work surface.
  • Mix pour olive oil into yeast mixture and then pour yeast mixture into bowl with flour.
  • Stir until as combined as possible.
  • Turn out onto floured surface.
  • With well floured hands, knead dough to work in the cup of flour on the board.
  • Continue kneading until nice, smooth dough-ball is formed.
  • Place in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel and let sit for 30 minutes.
  • Dough should double (at least).
  • Use half the dough to form a pizza crust, crimp the edges, brush edges with olive oil and top as desired.
  • Bake on pizza stone or ceramic tile at 425 F for approx 15 minutes.

Questions & Replies

  1. Can I refrigerate the dough?
     
  2. It does not mention to add the yeast to warm water. Is the sugar the ingredient that activates the yeast?
     
  3. Can you substitute vegetable oil for olive oil?
     
  4. The first time I made this recipe it was excellent. Made it again, and it didn't rise like the first time. What is the best brand of yeast to use? Maybe the water was too hot. I used Fleichmann's rapid dry yeast both times.
     
  5. What size round pizza would you recommend if I made two pizzas with this recipe?
     
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Reviews

  1. This also makes a wonderful 'deep dish' pizza crust as pictured above. The recipe will make one deep dish crust. Brush rimmed baking sheet with olive oil, place dough into pan and shape and dimple with finger tips. Brush top with olive oil and pre-bake at 425 F for 7 minutes - then add toppings and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
     
  2. This recipe makes an extraordinarily good crust, unlike ANY of the commercial ones I have ever tasted. It was fresh and flavourful. For the first time ever I saw the crust as a positive contributing factor to the ultimate taste of a pizza rather than just something to support all my favourite toppings. It begs the question, why haven’t I done this before? I think my perception was that it would be time-consuming and difficult may be the ultimate answer. It was neither. While the dough did it’s rising thing, I merrily sliced and diced my favourite fixings. When it came to assembly I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t have to send the dough artfully spinning off into space to achieve a successful crust. It was great fun, thank you Lisa. (prepared for the COOKOUT Cookathon July 1st – July 4th 2002
     
  3. I have been using this pizza dough recipe for many months and it always turns out perfect - very tender and crispy. After spreading dough out onto baking sheet, I brush it with a little olive oil and let it rise for about 15 minutes more. This makes for a light pizza dough. Also, I bake it at 450 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Great recipe!
     
  4. This was so easy and so great!! The photo had me drooling and the reviews won me over - I had to give this a try and am so glad I did. I made two smaller pizzas and it came out exactly like it was supposed to - flavorful, crips exterior, soft interior - no mushy spots. I found the directions to be very clear and helpful - my young daughter wanted to help and the directions made it easier for a beginner cook to follow along. Thanks for this great recipe!
     
  5. Another thing that really helps make the crust more tender. Is make the dough in advance, a day or two, store in the refridge, punch down when needed. It really give the flour time to blend and meld into all the other ingredients. I got this tip from a Pizza professional, known for his great pizzas!
     
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Tweaks

  1. I like big, fluffy pizza dough. DH likes thin crispy dough. THIS is the first recipe that allows me to make ONE crust for both of us. It's kinda like a deep-dish crispy pizza dough, I love it! Thank you for making pizza night at my house MUCH simpler! March 09 update: This is the best dough recipe! I've made a few adaptations in various circumstances as well: In a pinch, I've skipped the first rise and simply shaped my dough after kneading - the result was fantastic! I've also subbed with 1/4 soy flour and actually think it made for a better result (a little extra crunch on the outside while keeping it soft on the inside) and finally, I've made this in the bread machine with terrific results. An amazing dough recipe!!!!
     
  2. Very nice pizza dough. I replaced the olive oil with the oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes and used 1 1/3 cup rye flour in the 4 cups flour. Yje dough was still very light! Bake times were spot on.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm married to a wonderful man. We have two stinkin' cats. :) We both have good jobs. We are both healthy. Who could ask for more? Life is good!
 
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