13 March, 2020
Fast Pizza Crust
I absolutely love thin crispy New York style pizza. The problem with that dough is it takes at least 24 hours. This Fast Pizza Crust recipe can have pizza on the table in about an hour from start to finish. It’s a thicker dough somewhere between New York style and a Sicilian, and it has loads of flavor. Hubby and the kiddos can’t get enough of it; I make it at least once a week.
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg fast rising yeast (or 2 and 1/4 tsp)
- 3 cups all purpose flour, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup very warm water (but not too hot to the touch, about 120°f)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
**bonus: I often double the recipe and make garlic knots too**
Instructions:
In a large bowl (I use the bowl of my KitchenAid mixer *I honestly don’t know what I’d do without that mixer!) Combine warm water and oil, add 1 cup flour, yeast, and salt. Stir well to combine.
Add Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder and 1/2 cup flour. Mix on low speed. Switch to dough hook and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Continue to add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time (stopping mixer to add flour) until a firm dough forms. Remove dough from mixer bowl and kneed by hand on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in an oiled bowl and toss to coat.
Once again I just use my mixer bowl, no need to dirty another bowl. Cover bowl with a dish towel and let rise for 20 minutes. It should double in volume.
Now if you doubled the recipe (as I have) to make garlic knots you will need a few more ingredients…
- 1/4 cup butter
- 4-5 good sized garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Melt butter in small sauce pan on medium-low heat and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 5 minutes or so. Add parsley, oregano, and Parmesan cheese, stir to combine and turn off burner but keep warm.
Now turn pizza dough out onto your preferred pan (I have a few good ones that i switch up depending on my mood; tonight my boy asked for a circle pizza) I cut away approximately 1/3 of the dough to make the garlic knots. *because my “circle” pizza pan is 18″
Take that 1/3 pizza dough and divide in into 8 equal pieces. Turn those 8 pieces into ropes (mine were about 5″ long and about 1/2″ thick). Then tie the ropes into knots and place them in a buttered rimmed pan, I used an 8″ cake pan. Brush the knots with about half of that beautiful garlic butter mixture and set them aside. (*they bake for 15 – 20 minutes depending on the size of the knots, but we’re going to put them aside for now and then put them in the oven with the pizza.)
Now for the rest of the pizza dough, press it into a greased pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Prick the dough with a fork. Prebake for 10-12 minutes in a 400°F oven (put the garlic knots in the oven now too)
Remove from oven, add desired toppings and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
