faux dough to go.

I've mentioned my pizza crust recipe a few times now; when looking at pizza on the road, and my pretzel recipe as an extension. I promised the day would come when I would share my crust with you.  Today is not that day.  Instead this post was triggered by some recent  conversations I've had with people who would love to try their hand at yeast doughs, but are apprehensive about all the work.  This handy shortcut is for you.

Head on down to the freezer case at your local supermarket.  Look around a bit until you find the breads, and you'll find bags of little frozen dinner rolls.  Be sure to buy dough balls and not pre-baked "brown-n-serve" rolls.  I've only seen this dough in white, or original.  I'm on the lookout for a whole wheat version of the same product; until then I roll the white dough out in wheat flour to add some flavor and some body to the finished goods.

This pan make superb brownies.

Once thawed, you'll find this dough is versatile. Today we're going to make pizza, but you could just as easily roll out pretzels, make danish, fried elephant ears, etc.  Start by taking a few balls of dough from the freezer; I used eight to make a medium pizza.  Put them in a covered nonstick container to thaw and rise.  I put mine in an 8"x8" silicone pan, cover, and walk away for two hours or so.  When the dough is soft and slightly enlarged, push all the dough balls together trying to avoid creating trapped air.  Kneed lightly long enough to create one ball from many, then roll out a pizza crust thinned to your liking.

I bake on a stone that requires a good pre-heat to do its job.  Before I start to mess with the dough, I turn my oven on to 500°F and let it come up to temperature.  Once it beeps, I'll let the stone soak in the heat for at least ten minutes before I bake.  If you're oven/stone isn't hot enough, your crust won't get crispy on the bottom.

The ever-popular process shot.

Give your crust a final stretch on the peel and add a dollop of sauce.  Spread the sauce evenly, leaving as much crust as you please.  I top with a layer of cheese, pepperoni, and some more cheese.  The crust gets brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with my blend of herbs and spices.  When that's all done, slide your pie off the peel and onto the stone.  

Bake until it's done. Wait. Slice. Eat.