I made pizza this afternoon using a dough recipe from a Good Housekeeping cookbook that my mother received as a wedding gift in 1950, and is one that I ate countless times while growing up. The ingredients list is as follows ....
3 cups flour, sifted (I used 13.5 oz Primo Gusto high gluten flour from GFS)
9 oz water
.25 oz yeast
1/2 TBS salt
2 TBS melted shortening (I used butter flavor Crisco)
The dough was made yesterday, allowed to rise at room temperature for about four hours, punching down at two hour intervals, then stored in the refrigerator overnight. It was taken out about six hours before being formed into 7 and 11 inch diameter crusts.
Both were topped with Italian sausage, chopped yellow onions, Bel Gioiosso brand fresh mozzarella, and a simple sauce consisting of 8 oz 6in1 tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon each of basil, oregano, and garlic salt. The smaller one also had some green pepper.
The dough ball weighed in at 680 grams, with 340 being used for the 11-inch, 170 for the 7-inch, with the remaining dough returned to the fridge for use in a couple of days. Kneading by hand, the dough was a little on the wet side, requiring about one TBS additional flour so it wouldn't stick. Both pizzas were baked for 12 minutes at 450 degrees, the small on a preheated Lodge 10-inch cast iron griddle and other in a stoneware baking pan that I normally use for deep dish. After not made this for a couple of years, I'd forgotten how much I like this recipe, as it yields a dough that is soft and tender with a bread-like crumb, yet stands up to the amount of toppings used.
