Reading Rainbow Pizza Dough

What is this? No love for my sweet baby?  Not a single comment?  I know you are out there reading because I figured out how to see how many people are reading the blog.  But I am a bad commenter when I read my friends' blogs, so I guess that is just KARMA or something.  Well, whatever, I'm not one to hold a grudge so I will go ahead and share this awesome pizza dough recipe with you anyway.

Don't you hate it when you find a tutorial online and it is overly detailed. Pictures of every single step (even turning the oven to the right temperature :) ) It drives me nuts but I guess it's good so you don't get confused.  With that lovely intro, I just wanted to share the recipe for pizza dough that I use.  We use it for pizza (it even works well for grilled pizza), calzones, and breadsticks.  I heard about it while listening to NPR one afternoon.  They were interviewing LeVar Burton because PBS had just announced that they wouldn't keep making Reading Rainbow and someone called in saying that they had seen an episode where they went to a pizza place and gave the dough recipe but he couldn't find it anywhere online.  The NPR people found it and read it over the air and that's how I got it.  If you find the original transcript from the show they mistakenly said two thirds cup flour when it should be 2 to 3 cups flour but otherwise it is right. I just love getting recipes that are easy with easy ingredients and hope you will enjoy this one!

Without further ado---


Reading Rainbow Pizza Dough


Combine

1 cup warm water
1 T. yeast
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt

Let sit for a few minutes then add
2 to 3 cups flour depending on humidity

I usually add 3 whole cups but it's really humid here.
This dough is not super sticky, and I usually let my mixer mix it for a good few minutes to make the dough a nice ball.  It should be nice and tight, but bounce back when you press slightly on it.  If you make bread a lot it is less sticky and more of a ball than most other bread doughs I have made. 

Let it sit until it rises to about double.  In a warm humid kitchen like mine this takes about 30 to 45 minutes. 

I usually divide it in half and roll it out or take one half and divide it into smaller pieces so each kid can make their own pizza.  Usually they will eat it if they make it!

Roll it out into the best circle you can.  This is nearly impossible for me but it still tastes yummy!  We like to drizzle a little bit of olive oil on it, some minced garlic, and then add toppings. (I tend to roll it out pretty thin.) 

Cook at 450 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes but keep and eye on it because sometimes it goes really fast. 

Enjoy! Try it! Then let me know what you think.