Pizza Dough ~ Cold Process

Friday is family pizza night at our house. We either play games or have a family movie night after depending on who is around. This recipe is from Friday in the Caring for Children Guides.

I like to call this Flatbread because for me, it expands the pobbibilities of what we might put on it and how to shape it. It can be used for traditional pizza as well as a base for experimentation with S.O.L.E. food, food that is:

S ~ Sustainable
O ~ Organic
L ~ Local
E ~ Ethical

Pizza ~ Flatbread Crust

Make this a day ahead of time. It is a cold process dough and works on itself overnight in the fridge.

For more on the evolution of no knead dough, here.

 It is simple and fun to make with children. Assemble the ingredients. Toss them into a large container, cover with a cloth and let it sit overnight.

4 1/2 cups unbleached, unbromated flour, high gluten is nice if available, regular works too
1 1/2 teaspoon Morton's Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1 3/4 cup water

Put all ingredients in container, in any order, stir it up, cover with a cloth so it can breathe, no solid lid, put in fridge overnight.

Next day, take it out a few hours before you wish to use it, let it come to room temperature and rise, remove and knead on flour dusted surface, cut into several small pizzas or two medium sized pizzas or one large pizza, form ball(s) let rest until smooth and puffy in an olive oil coated bowl. When it has rested and expanded, roll it out on flour/cornmeal dusted surface or on cornmeal dusted pizza peel, form the pizza/flatbread with your hand.

Brush crust with olive oil that has freshly minced garlic in it.

Top with desired toppings.

Some of my favorite toppings:

tomato sauce and cheese
pesto with goat cheese, pine nuts
honey fig butter with caramelized onions, fresh fig and sage
caramelized onions
roasted vegetables

Bake at 475 degrees on pizza stone of possible.