Hulett's Place

1 cup plus two tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

3 cups "bread flour"

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or bread machine yeast or quick-acting yeast

Place all the dough ingredients in bread pan in the order listed.  Select the regular dough cycle on your machine. Hit start.  (Some machines don't have a separate dough cycle but will beep after the dough is kneaded.  Check your owner's manual to see how your machine works.)  Move oven rack to lowest position.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease two cookie sheets.  Divide dough in half.  Pat each half into a 12-inch circle on cookie sheet with floured fingers.  Spread with favorite toppings.  Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until crust is light brown.   Yield: 2 crusts

 

Herb-Cheese Pizza Crust:  Add two tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, oregano, thyme or Italian seasoning with the flour.

 

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:  Decrease bread flour to 1 1/2 cups and add 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour with the bread flour.  Select the whole wheat dough cycle on your machine. (The whole wheat dough cycle is longer to allow the gluten to raise the dough.  Whole wheat flours work better if given a longer rising time.)

 

NOTE:  My family likes pizza baked on a stone.  It has a crunchy texture to the crust.  We sprinkle cornmeal on the surface to keep the crust from sticking.  When using the stone I found it best to prepare the pizza crusts ahead of time in the freezer or fridge because I don't like to grease my stone a lot.  Even using pizza pans in the oven I find you only need to use a minimum amount of oil (grease) for the pans or the crust will come out soggy. 

 

Here is Nathan and Olivia creating their master pieces. 20 minutes and they will get to eat them.

 

 

 

  Fun was had by all.  My pizza is still in the bowl waiting to be tossed.