Why can't I make a decent pizza crust?
Pizza woes again...
It's supposed to be the easiest food in the world to make, right? Then why do I keep screwing it up?!? I can make things far more complex without a problem, but apparently the pizza fairy has skipped me.
The problem lies in the crust, of course.
I've tried different recipes, some failing more than others.
The recipe I've followed lately is
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
I mix it all together and then knead (adding more flour as necessary to keep it from being so sticky) for about 10 minutes. I let it rise for an hour or so (sometimes more), then knead again, let it rest for another half hour, then try to punch it down and stretch it out. What I usually end up with is crispy crust, when I'm looking for chewy crust.
I bake on a pizza stone at about 400F until the cheese is all bubbly and browning a bit.
Why can't I make a decent pizza crust???