The most requested recipe , from all of you , has been for a wheat crust . From the tone of your letters , you've all been miffed a few times by something that is missing or something that just got screwed up . No worries , it's gonna be resolved in no time . We all make mistakes , but wheat crust is no ordinary , quick to the point recipe . You can only give it the old college try so many times before it's busted and you move on . So , here it is .
WHEAT CRUST
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup Warm Water ( 102* exactly )
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 oz. Active Dry Yeast ( 1 packet )
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. Sugar In The Raw
INSTRUCTIONS
Start out by laying your ingredients out in plain view in a sizable work area . Organize everything you will need so that it's easy to reach and can be grabbed without looking around . This will keep your stress level down and that can go miles towards helping you stay levelheaded and focused . No fuss , no muss . Once your ingredients are in order , start by combining all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl . Stir together to combine . This is the surest way to guarantee a smooth , consistent taste throughout each bite of the pie .
Next , measure , at eye level , your water and take the temperature with a thermometer . 102* exactly ? Cool . We're rocking right along . Pour in your yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved , meaning that all solid pieces are off the spoon and you get a tan soup like consistency . I find 1 minute is adequate . The yeast needs to sit for 10 minutes . After 10 minutes has gone by ( use a timer ) , add the water and the Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( measure to 1/4 cup at eye level into the dry ingredients . Mix it up baby ! For complete technique on mixing , please see " Pie In The Sky , Episode Two , The Dough ".
COOKING
This is where I believe that most of you are going wrong . A wheat crust does not require any more baking time than an ordinary crust . In fact , what you all may be doing is cooking different thicknesses of pizza on my recommended time of 8 - 12 minutes at 475* . This is for Neapolitan , cracker to thin crust only . A thicker Sardinian , Florentine , or New York crust is gonna require more time and the amount of sauce should not combine with toppings and cheese to over weigh the crust . You , hopefully , wouldn't try to build a castle on a swamp . Well , if your foundation can't hold the house , you will end up with a sloppy , soupy , pie . BOOOOO !
I want you to continue on the path to the perfect pizza . I can tell you that after 20 years , I'm still turning out pizzas that are far better than the ones I made just a week ago . Conversely , sometimes they are miss fires , and the choice of cheeses and topping has blown up in my face with a big "man , that is off tasting " . I still eat em' up anyway . Enjoy , and let me know about your pies .
* Larry *
Comments