Dough it Your Own

"Ideas are like pizza dough, made to be tossed around."

-Anna Quindlen 

Dough is a thick, malleable paste made out of any cereals (grains) or leguminous crops by mixing flour with a small amount of water and/or other liquid. This process is a precursor to making a wide variety of foodstuffs, particularly breads and bread-based items (e.g., crusts, dumplings), flat breads, noodles, pastry, pizza, bread rolls, biscuits, cookies and similar items. This includes all kinds of breads or similar recipes made from maize, rice, sorghum, wheat, and other cereals or related crops used around the world.

Leavened or fermented dough, made from dry ground grain cereals or legumes mixed with water and yeast are used all over the world. Salt, oils or fats, sugars or honey and sometimes milk or eggs are also common ingredients in dough.

Basic Bread Dough Recipe

Ingredients

450g (3 cups) plain bread flour

1 tbs (12g/2 sachets) dried yeast

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs melted butter

250ml (1 cup) warm milk

2 tsp caster sugar

Steps

1.      Combine flour, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in salt. Make a well in the center. Add milk and butter.

2.  Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture until well combined, and then use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

3. Brush a large bowl with olive oil to grease. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place to prove for 45 minutes-1 hour or until the dough has almost doubled in size.

4.     Punch down the center of the dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes or until the dough is elastic and has returned to its original size. Continue following your recipe.

The video above shows How to make Pizza Dough.