Best Dough Ever

Guest Blog By Christina Flis

Wednesday is finally here! Well, it's almost Thursday but I've just been so busy in the kitchen today I almost forgot about blogging. Every Wednesday I spend a majority of the day in the kitchen, baking something from scratch and preparing for the weekend. Also, my 4 year old is normally in charge of dinner this particular day and he likes to help mommy in the kitchen!

I don't know about your kids, but mine LOVE pizza! It's so fun having a little helper, and he loves to eat the food he's made. Today I thought I'd share my pizza dough recipe since I have so many people who have asked for it. This also works beautifully for calzones. 

Proof one packet of active dry yeast with 1/2 cup warm water, a teaspoon of sugar and a good squeeze from the honey bear. Let sit about 10 minutes.

Add: 3/4 warm milk, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 clove of garlic (grated or pressed) and 1 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour. Stir until a soft dough is formed. Add up to 1 1/2 cups of BREAD flour. I like to use the two different types of flour because I like the texture difference. Stir until ball is formed and flour is mixed thoroughly. Knead for 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, covered with a cloth for an hour.

 When the hour is up, break off 8 handfuls of dough, and roll into balls. Place on pan (I use The Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan) and let rise for an additional hour. 

Using hand, manipulate dough into an 8 pie. Make sure not to use a rolling pin as this releases more air and can cause a hard and chewy crust. Fold over to form a crust, baste with butter and garlic salt. Place in an oven preheated to 450* for 5 minutes. Top with sauce, half the cheese and other toppings of your choice. I personally like to fry my pepperonis so they have an extra crunch! It almost tastes like bacon, and who doesn't like bacon?! Top with the remainder of the cheese (this prevents the dough from getting soggy) Brush the crust again with butter and garlic salt. I also grate fresh Parmesan cheese for extra flavor! Bake for 7-10 minutes and enjoy!