Pizza ( Bread Machine)

By KSmitherman

Ingredients

• PIZZA CRUST (bread machine)
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups bread flour (using dip-and-sweep method of measuring)
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• cornmeal, for dusting peel
• olive oil, for brushing on

Preparation

Step 1

Place first four ingredients in bread machine, in the order given. Select pizza dough cycle. Press start.

At completion of cycle, remove dough from machine. Stretch gradually into one 12” to 14” round on cornmeal-dusted peel, resting between stages to allow dough to rest.

With pizza stone in center of oven, preheat oven to highest temperature available (550 degrees in my oven).

Brush entire round of pizza dough with olive oil just before adding pizza toppings and baking. Open oven door and carefully slide prepared pizza from peel onto pizza stone. Bake until pizza crust is the desired brownness and crispness (check underside by lifting crust from peel using a spatula), about 6 to 8 minutes at 550 degrees. Remove from stone onto peel, cutting board, or serving plate.

Yes, I had a few messy ovens and misshapen pizzas as I practiced my peel technique, but practice makes perfect.