Cracker Pizza Dough
Look no further for the thinnest, crunchiest crust, a true Italian specialty. This dough is different from the others; it cannot be stretched into a crust once it’s risen. Instead, it must be rolled out on a lightly floured peel or work surface until paper thin. There’s no need to use the dough hook on a stand mixer for this crust; kneading by hand is a snap because so little flour is used.
- 1⁄2 cup lukewarm water (between 105°F and 115°F)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 11⁄2 cups bread fl our, plus additional as needed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus additional for greasing the bowl
Instructions:
- Pour the water into a slightly warmed, large bowl or the slightly warmed bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the yeast, baking soda, and salt until dissolved.
- Stir in the fl our and olive oil until smooth. Dust a clean, dry work surface with a little bread flour, then turn the dough out onto it. Knead by holding the dough with one hand and pulling it with the other hand, twisting and digging the heel of that second hand into the dough as you pull it. Add a little more fl our if the dough sticks; continue kneading until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
- Wipe a clean, large bowl with a bit of cooking oil on a paper towel, or spray it with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the prepared bowl, turning the dough so all sides are coated with oil, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draft- free place to rest for 2 hours. Because there’s not much yeast, the dough will not double in bulk but will rise a little and soften somewhat. Roll the dough into the desired shape on a fl our- dusted peel or work surface rather than tossing it by hand.