I know I have written many times of my problems with making
thin-crusted pizza dough. I think I have it solved now.
I spoke to Mike Colameco on WOR, 1-1/2 weeks ago, and he gave me some
tips to follow.
1) do not use Wolfgang Puck's recipe for dough
2) put pizza stone on the bottom of my gas oven
3) make dough from all-purpose flour (I used the durum pizza flour my
husband brought me from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx)
4) heat oven to the highest it will go and preheat for a long time
5) use semolina on the bottom of the pan or peel and slip it on
6) Bake until bubbly and browned
I docked the dough, so I was playing it safe!
The dough DID NOT rise in the middle, it stayed thin. That is the
first problem solved.
2nd problem I saw tonight - the dough wasn't crisp enough all over.
Near the edge of the dough it was crisp but not towards the end.
Next time I will pre-bake the dough for 10 minutes, covered with
foil, and then take the foil off and top and then bake for a second
time until it is bubbly and browned. I hope that works.
This was great pizza.
Because I used the pizza flour from the pizza place, the dough looked
and tasted just like the pizza from Bensonhurst. Once I get the
crispness just right, I will be one happy NYer stuck in NJ!
RisaG