For the love of pizza

While we were in Miami I had some of the best pizza I have ever had. It was from a place called Joe's Pizza and Pasta near my dad's condo. The people are from the Tri-State area and the pizza was a-mazing. The crust was cooked on the outside and chewy on the inside. It was cheesy and greasy and perfect.

Ever since then I have been on a mission to find a crust recipe that come close to what I experienced. Daniel, who makes really good pizza, was not on board with this plan. I think he was a little offended, but I decided to persevere. The following is the recipe that I found. I give it a 9 out of 10. It was really, really good and even Daniel said it was better than the recipe he had been using.

New York Style Pizza Dough



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (105F)
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons of olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of yeast
1/2 cup cornmeal

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and salt in water.

Add oil and flour and stir with heavy spoon for 1 minute.

Turn out to a lightly floured surface and press into a circle.

Sprinkle yeast evenly over dough and knead for 12 minutes.

Divide dough into portions: 6 oz. for Calzones, 18 oz. for 12 inch, 25 oz. for 15 inch

Roll each portion into a ball. You want a dough ball without visible seams except the bottom.

Place dough balls in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to proof for 1−2 hours at room temperature to use the same day, or store in refrigerator to use the next day.

Place dough ball on lightly floured surface, and lightly flour the top. Use fingertips to evenly flatten out the dough ball. Work from the edges to the center press dough into a 12" circle. Place both hands within the shell edge and stretch with fingertips and palms maintaining an even pressure. Or, use a lightly floured rolling pin to stretch to desired shape.

Sprinkle cornmeal or semolina on pizza peel (a wooden paddle with a handle to slide the pizza in the oven) or a cutting board. The cornmeal allows the pizza to slide onto the stone easily.

After topping the pizza, when you are ready to cook it. Shake the peel or cutting board to make sure none of the dough is sticking.

Carefully slide the pizza into the oven.

Bake in a 500 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden.


The finished product


Recipe from Recipe Pizza

I am still in search of the perfect crust. I'll keep you updated if I find a better one. Until then, enjoy!