Pie. 'Za. Pizza. However you slice it, pizza is an all-ages crowd favorite, vegans included. Recently, my sister and I had the pleasure of taking a pizza making class at Tom Douglas's culinary school, Hot Stove Society. And let me tell you, it's all about that dough. Chef Lexi Ochoa shared Serious Pie's famous pizza dough recipe, demonstrating the importance of gently stretching the dough with the backs of your knuckles. Though my sister and I were slightly disappointed that we couldn't toss the pizza high into the air, as we would imagine they do in Italy, we were thrilled with texture of the finished product. Almost as good as Serious Pie, our dough achieved just the right balance of gooey yeasty with crispy bubbles here and there. Like that perfect marriage between a fresh-out-of-the-oven breadstick and the best thin crust pizza you've ever tasted. My pizza was topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, medium hot pasilla peppers, caramelized onions, and flaky Murray River sea salt. Served on the side was a lovely kale salad chilies and toasted pine nuts.
Here are the recipes, courtesy Serious Pie.
Serious Pie Pizza Dough (yields 4 individual sized pizzas)
Ingredients
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cups 68-degree water (1st portion)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup 68-degree water (2nd portion)
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients except the second portion of water. Mix on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until a soft dough forms. Turn off the mixer and let the dough sit for about 5 minutes.
Turn the mixer back on at medium/high speed and slowly add the second portion of water, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Let the water absorb between additions. This should take 2-4 minutes. After all the additional water has been added, let the dough continue to mix until it begins to wrap around the paddle, becoming shiny, about 2 more minutes. The temperature of the dough should be between 75-80 degrees.
Gather the dough into a smooth ball and place it in an oiled bowl large enough so the dough can double in size. (Wet your hands before touching the dough). Cover the bowl with a piece of oiled plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm spot in your kitchen and let it rest 30 minutes. Turn the dough and re-cover. Let set for another 30 minutes and turn it again. Then, place the dough in the refrigerator overnight.
At least 2 hours before you wish to make the pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into 4 equal portions. Form each portion into a smooth ball. Place the dough onto an oiled baking sheet and brush with oil. Cover with plastic and let rest at room temperature for at least two hours or until you can easily stretch the dough. If the dough is ready before you are, simply place the dough back in the refrigerator and use it when you're ready. Use lots of flour to make the dough easy to stretch and work with.
Bake on a pizza stone with a bit of semolina flour beneath the dough at 400 degrees until the desired color is achieved. We baked the pizzas at Hot Stove in a 500-degree oven for about 10 minutes, so the dough will take longer to cook in a cooler oven.
Serious Pie Kale Salad (adapted for vegans)
Ingredients
1.75 lbs lacinto kale (washed and cut into 3" chunks)
1 cup garlic oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Calabrian chilies
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Combine the kale, oil, and lemon juice. Massage gently to darken and soften the kale. Then, add the pepper, chilies, and pine nuts. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes before serving.
Here are the recipes, courtesy Serious Pie.
Serious Pie Pizza Dough (yields 4 individual sized pizzas)
Ingredients
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cups 68-degree water (1st portion)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup 68-degree water (2nd portion)
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients except the second portion of water. Mix on medium speed for 7-10 minutes until a soft dough forms. Turn off the mixer and let the dough sit for about 5 minutes.
Turn the mixer back on at medium/high speed and slowly add the second portion of water, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Let the water absorb between additions. This should take 2-4 minutes. After all the additional water has been added, let the dough continue to mix until it begins to wrap around the paddle, becoming shiny, about 2 more minutes. The temperature of the dough should be between 75-80 degrees.
Gather the dough into a smooth ball and place it in an oiled bowl large enough so the dough can double in size. (Wet your hands before touching the dough). Cover the bowl with a piece of oiled plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm spot in your kitchen and let it rest 30 minutes. Turn the dough and re-cover. Let set for another 30 minutes and turn it again. Then, place the dough in the refrigerator overnight.
At least 2 hours before you wish to make the pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into 4 equal portions. Form each portion into a smooth ball. Place the dough onto an oiled baking sheet and brush with oil. Cover with plastic and let rest at room temperature for at least two hours or until you can easily stretch the dough. If the dough is ready before you are, simply place the dough back in the refrigerator and use it when you're ready. Use lots of flour to make the dough easy to stretch and work with.
Bake on a pizza stone with a bit of semolina flour beneath the dough at 400 degrees until the desired color is achieved. We baked the pizzas at Hot Stove in a 500-degree oven for about 10 minutes, so the dough will take longer to cook in a cooler oven.
Serious Pie Kale Salad (adapted for vegans)
Ingredients
1.75 lbs lacinto kale (washed and cut into 3" chunks)
1 cup garlic oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Calabrian chilies
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Combine the kale, oil, and lemon juice. Massage gently to darken and soften the kale. Then, add the pepper, chilies, and pine nuts. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes before serving.
