Title: California Pizza Kitchen Pizza Crust
Categories: Maindish
Yield: 4 Servings

1 ts Yeast
1/2 c Plus
1 tb Warm waterm 105-110 degrees
1 1/2 c Bread flour, or all-purpose
2 ts Sugar
1 ts Salt
1 tb Extra virgin olive oil
Plus 1t for coating

Recipe By: The California Pizza Kitchen Cookbook

To prepare dough: Dissolve yeast in water and set aside for 5 to 10 min..
Be sure that water is not too hot: Temps over 120 will kill the yeast.

UPRIGHT ELECTRIC MIXER: Use mixing paddle attachment because batch size is
too small for the dough hook. Combine all other ingredients. Add dissolved
yeast. Use the lowest 2 speeds to mix dough. Mix 2-3 min. until dough is
smoth and elastic. Overmixing will produce tough, rubbery dough, and
friction will cause dough to rise too fast.
IF USING FOOD PROCESSOR: Use dough blade.proceed as in preceeding
instructions.

IF MIXING BY HAND: Place dry ingredients in a 4-6 qt mixing bowl , make a
well in the middle and add liquids. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Lightly
oil hands and knead for 5 minutes. When done the dough should be slightly
tacky.

LIGHTLEY OIL THE ball and the interior of a 1 qt. glass bowl. Place dough
ball in bowl and seal bowl air-tight with clear food wrap. Set aside at
room temperature to rise until double in bulk: 1-1/2 - 2 hrs.

The dough could be used now BUT it would be NOTHING SPECIAL!

To obtain that wonderful, chewy, flavorful dough that it will later become,
punch down dough, reform a nice round ball and return it to same bowl;
cover again with clear plastic wrap. Place bowl in refrigerator overnight,
covered airtight. About 2 hours before you are ready to assemble pizza,
remove dough from fridge, use a sharp knife to divde dough into 2 equal
portions. Roll smaller dough into round balls on a smoothe surface; seal
any holes by pinching . Place the dough balls in a glass casserole dish,
space far enough to allow each to rise until doubled in size (about 2
hrs.). They should be smooth and puffy.

To stretch and form dough for pizza, sprinkle flour on smooth surface. Use
a spatula to carefully remove dough ball from casserol dish . Be very
careful to preserve its round shape. Flour the dough liberally. Use your
hand or rolling pin to press dough down forming a flat circle about 1/2"
thick. Pinch dough between your fingers around edge forming a 1/4" rim.
Continue this outward stretching until you have reaached a 9" diameter
pizza dough.

Yields ennough dough for 2- 9" pizzas.

After topping pizza transfer to pizza stone in preheated oven. The stone
should be preheated at 500 degrees for 1 hour.

Bake 8 to 10 min.

NOTE: I was really sorry I did not double this recipe the first time I made
it!!!!!! It is sooo delicious we ate more (and wanted more)! For
something diffrent (and quite good) try " The Original Bbq Chicken Pizza".

Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V3 #190

Date: Mon, 08 Jul 1996 23:12:15 +0000

From: Cheryl Gimenez