Flat Bread/Pizza Crust
This bread recipe I use for flat breads and pizza crusts. It's a little bit sweeter than regular bread.
I highly suggest using a pizza stone when making this bread. Go to a thrift store for a few weeks to see if you can find one on the cheap.
Directions
- 1 C Water
- 0.5 C Whole Milk
- 2 TBL Oil
- 3 TBL Sugar
- 1 TSP Salt
- 4.5 C Higher Gluten Flour
- 2 TSP Yeast
I do something that is not mentioned in the instruction booklets and recipes. Normally you put all the liquids in first and then add the drys. I like throwing in the oil, milk, sugar and salt in first, pouring the warm water in on top of that. I want the sugar and salt to disolve in the water and go everywhere the flour is hydrated.
I throw the flour in and then make a little dimple to pour the yeast into. Suffer the little yeastlings until they are able to reach water and sugar and thrive! That's biology and organic chemistry going on right there in your bread machine.
My dough cycle is 90 minutes, I have a 1.5 or 2 pound loaf pan I usually go for the 1.5 lb loafs.
Mix up some Olive Oil's Herby Deliciousness while the dough cycle is going. The same with Pizza Sauce you want to start early so it will be back to room temperature when the dough is done cycling.
Start you machine on your dough cycle and let it do it's thing. Who cares if your machine's timing is slightly different than mine as long as the dough comes out good.
Now if you're doing a Pizza Sauce you'll be all ready to have your poop in a group for pizza. My second recpie pack will be on making pizza almost like a Ma & Pa pizza shop and way better than the chain pizza places.
When the cycle is done *or if you've done it my hand* divide dough into two equal pieces. Roll balls and then flatten out. It's best to stretch them out, but my hands are for shit and I use a rolling pin even though it's not the best way to treat the gluten in the dough.
I try to roll my dough to be a little under a quarter inch and/or the size of my pizza stone. Set these guys off to the size to double in size.
Preheat the oven to 425F with the pizza stone in it. I do not preheat for the hour some people say to do. Maybe let it sit in there for five or ten minutes if I am doing work around the house.
Have all the ingredients out and prepped. If I have garlic, I chop some up, same goes for onions, peppers, and other topping on hand.
Carefully pull the pizza stone out of the oven and place on the stove top. Close oven door. Quickly and carefully place your pizza dough on the stone.
Quickly and as safely as you can build your flat bread or pizza without getting burned.
I pour out a decent amount of the oil mix and spread it around with the back of a steam shovel spoon. I will add more seasons if I feel like it. Throw on the toppings which I try to roll around in order to transfer some of the flavors of the oil to coat them.
Throw back in oven and cook for about 20-25 minute. You want this to be a nice golden brown without having it turn into something as dry as dust.
I have fucked up enough loafs along the way to have fed a few park fulls of birds. If you're a newbe bread maker don't get discouraged. There is a learning curve, if you keep it up you will get to the peak and then you will see a new world of yeast baking.
Beginner's tip. This isn't as good but you can spread Italian salad dressing instead of the herb oil. It tastes more like a salad dressing than a good herb oil.
