Pizza dough

Every time we make bread and buns or pizza the basic dough that we make is almost the same. I find it too repetitive to describe the entire dough process for every recipe. So I thought I will make one detailed explanatory post on making pizza dough. This can be referred every time a similar dough is prepared. You can always use the ingredients quantity from the original post and then refer the process of making the dough in this post here

If you master making this dough then you will never think of buying bread or buns or pizza from outside. Yes I am sure you will fall in love with your breads once you start baking them. The aroma that fills your kitchen, the eagerness to check on the final product, the waiting, the testing, the tasting...... every bit of making your own bread is fun. You will love the experience and feel good about what you have learnt

Well coming to the recipe ... this is a generalised version of pizza dough. This can altered as per the ingredients quantity specified in the required recipe

  

Serves... makes 1 loaf of bread or 2 medium pizzas

Use option... Can be used as base for pizzas, bread or buns

This is what u'll need...

Maida/All-purpose flour - 3 cups
Sugar - 1 tbspn
Milk powder - 1 tbspn(optional)
Active Dry yeast - 1 tspn
Butter/Oil - 3 tbspn
Salt - 1 tspn

Here is the stir....

• The first step to baking any kind of bread is proofing the yeast. I always use active dry yeast in bread baking as that is the only one I have access to. Take half a cup of lukewarm water into a cup and add a tablespoon of sugar into it. Measure in a teaspoon of yeast into the cup and give it good mix. Keep this aside covered for about 10-15 minutes and the mixture will turn frothy. For detailed instructions and help of proofing yeast check out this link -> How to proof yeast

• When I started making breads, I used 2 teaspoon yeast everytime. They turned out good but I sometimes used to feel the yeasty smell. Now I have been using only 1 teaspoon. The dough doesnt rise as much during their resting times but they rise beautifully well during the baking time

• While the yeast is proofing and the tangzhong is cooling down, measure 3 cups of all-purpose flour into a wide bowl

• Spoon in 1 a tablespoon of milk powder into the flour

• Add a teaspoon of salt 

• Pour the frothy yeast mixture into the flour mix

• Add water little by little to the mixture and pull it all together to make a sticky dough but not too sticky

• Once the dough starts to come together add three tablespoons of butter to it. Make sure the butter is at room temperature

• Mix the butter well into the dough until well incorporated. The dough will look better and manageable by now

• Transfer the dough onto a clean space on your kitchen counter

• Knead the dough for a minimum of 10-12 minutes. Yes and no less than that. If you using a stand mixer then it might be easy but hand-kneading will need atleast a minimum of continuous 10 minutes kneading

• After 10 minutes of time check the dough for window-pane test. If it doesnt pass the window pane test, then continue kneading for another 2 minutes and check again

• Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a well-greased bowl. Also cover the dough ball generously with oil

• Cover this and let it rest for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough doubles in volume

Note: 

• Keep the dough for resting in a warm place. Best is to turn on your oven at min for a few minutes the turn it off and place the covered dough bowl inside
• Use 1 teaspoon of yeast... yes it sounds less but believe me though the dough doesnt rise too much when resting but will beautifully when baking
• Kneading is very important.... yes a llot it and beli If you have a stand mixer then let it do the job for you else get ready to give a good exercise to your hands