Given how many times I've made this recipe and how long it's been my only thin crust recipe I use (outside of the few experiments inspired by this forum), it sounds crazy to admit that I even tinkered with it at all. But I think I have stumbled upon an innovation that improves upon this already great recipe:
NO KNEAD.
Here's the back story. Every winter, the old neighborhood gang gets together for a guys weekend at a cabin in the woods. Pizza Factory is the star of the show. We all grew up eating it, and the pizzas we make that weekend are always the best. Well, several months back, I was making 20-something dough balls for the long weekend, which is a taxing feat without a commercial sized mixer. My little consumer grade KitchenAid would have to do, and it was going to be many batches at full capacity. I also have a job and family and don't really have an extra day in the middle of the week to just sit around and make dough. So I thought to myself, "Heck, I'll just not knead it at all and bang out these batches as quickly as possible." I made five or six batches of four dough balls (300g each) per batch. I bulk fermented each batch overnight in a ziploc bag and then balled and bagged up all 20-something.
I really wasn't sure how they'd turn out. I figured it would all be OK, and the good company and libations would smooth out any minor deficiencies. Boy, was I wrong. It was not OK--it was awesome!
After the requisite 3-day cold ferment, the dough was workable as usual, but it baked up crispier and more wonderful than ever before. I was hesitant to share these results here on the forum without further testing. Yeah, 20+ pizzas might be too many for a fluke, but they were all made at the same time. Since then, I have made it a couple more times, to great results. I think this will be my new go-to method. Would love to hear how it works for you.
NO KNEAD PIZZA FACTORY DOUGHFor each 14" pie, you'll need a 300 g dough ball. Here is the recipe for two (because who in their right mind would make only one pizza? ;-))
AP Flour (100%):
Cool Water (50%):
IDY (.5%):
Salt (1%):
Oil (8%):
Sugar (1%):
Total (160.5%):
Single Ball:
| 373.83 g | 13.19 oz | 0.82 lbs
186.92 g | 6.59 oz | 0.41 lbs
1.87 g | 0.07 oz | 0 lbs | 0.62 tsp | 0.21 tbsp
3.74 g | 0.13 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.67 tsp | 0.22 tbsp
29.91 g | 1.05 oz | 0.07 lbs | 6.65 tsp | 2.22 tbsp
3.74 g | 0.13 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.94 tsp | 0.31 tbsp
600 g | 21.16 oz | 1.32 lbs | TF = .06875
300 g | 10.58 oz | 0.66 lbs | TF = .06875
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NOTE: As a no-knead dough, it requires a long, cold ferment. Make dough 72 hrs ahead (absolute minimum is 48 hrs.; still great after 96 hrs), kept in fridge until a couple hrs before baking. Punch down if needed during the first 12 hrs. I like to separate out the dough balls after the first 12 hrs. of rising as one mass.
MIXING: When making the dough, dump all the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl, stir to combine, and then add the liquids. Be sure to use cool water (60
o-ish?). Mix it just until the dough comes together and is uniform throughout. It's done. That is, don't knead it. Cover it and stick it in the fridge for 72 hrs, when it's pizza time.
