Wood Oven Roasted Vegetable Pizza
Everyone loves a great pizza, and there is nothing better than hot right out of your own oven. When it comes to making any pizza, let imagination and the season rule your toppings. I love changing up the pizza according to the season. And if you are up to expanding your hand-tossed style, take the dough to the grill for an added fire-roasted flavor.
mini grape tomatoes, caramelized fennel, onion, sopressata + stilton
Hand Tossed Pizza
Makes four servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
Makes enough for 2-3 pizzas
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees F)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water. Add the sugar and stir well. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until small bubbles appear on the surface.
Place 3 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture and the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, using the additional 1/2 cup flour if the dough is sticky.
The dough is sufficiently kneaded when you can stick two fingers into it and it springs back without leaving an indentation.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Let the dough rest in an oiled bowl for 45-60 minutes. Lightly oil the top of each ball with the 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.
- Mixing with a mixer & dough hook: Mix for eight minutes at medium speed.
- Mixing with a food processor: process for 40 seconds until smooth, add 1 additional Tablespoon of flour at a time until all of the flour is combined into the dough.
Mix Dough and place in a bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator overnight.
Next day, pre heat oven to 475 degrees F.
Stretch out dough to a rectangular shape and cut into two pieces. Sprinkle a teaspoon of fine grind corn meal on the surface of a heavy gauge pizza pan or sheet pan. Place the two pieces of dough on the top of corn meal. Brush top lightly with olive oil.
Add your favorite toppings and cheese. Note: Use cold, not hot sauce.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until pizza crusts are fully baked. You can check for doneness by tapping on the edge of the dough with your finger. It should should hollow.
Remove from oven, place pizza on cutting board, cut to desired size.
