basic home-made dough

preparation: 45 minutes totaltime: 3-4 hours Yield: 2 medium (12") pizza crusts ingredients: 1 tbsp. dry yeast or small packet

Tip the loose dough onto a lightly floured surface, and then wash + dry your hands. Knead dough until smooth, shiny + elastic (about 5-10 minutes). If the dough is too sticky or soft, just add a little extra flour. If its too dry + crumbly then just add a little water. Shape the dough into a round ball + place in a large oiled bowl + cover with a damp cloth for roughly 45 minutes or until dough doubles in size. Punch down the dough to remove the air + then place it on a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 2 + shape the dough into rounded disks. Place the dough balls on a sheet of parchment, cover with a light coating of oil + let them rise again for about 20 minutes. Now build your pizza with abandon!

1-1/4 cup warm water 4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp. Panago Cucina Mediterranean Sea Salt 2 tbsp. Panago Cucina Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tbsp. honey Thin or hand-tossed? It doesnt matter. What matters is: heres the secret to making your own panago-like dough! As they told us in italy, this recipe is a good short-cut to a very complex, rich dough like our own. (Panagos actual dough takes 2-3 days of a slow rise process, and is made with a proprietary blend of flours). While this cheaters version is quick, its not as fast as ordering pizza from Panago (another shameless plug).
method: in a medium bowl, combine the warm

water (not too hot or youll kill the yeast), honey + yeast until dissolved. Leave for 5-10 minutes until the yeast activates + the mixture develops a layer of froth on the surface. In a large bowl, mix the sea salt + flour together finishing with a well in the centre. A dd the yeast mixture + olive oil. Mix together with a wooden spoon, then use your hands until the dough comes together. (This step can also be done in a mixer but its not nearly as much fun.)

j u n e 2 0 0 8 / pa n a g o . c o m