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Black Pepper-Lard Pizza Dough

Category: Misc

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(3.0) by 1 users

Ingredients:

1 cup Warm tap water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 package Active dry yeast
3 To 3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Coarsely ground black pepper
2 Heaping Tablespoons naturally rendered pork lard

Instructions:

"This recipe descends from ne of the oldest known kinds of pizza
crust. The Romans, who were very fond of black pepper, used a similar
but richer dough, which included eggs and honey. Naturally rendered
pork lard is essential to this crust. If you can't get any, use the
same amount of olive oil in the recipe."

1. Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the
yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and the
liquid turns light beige in color.

2. Add 1 cup of the flour, the salt, pepper and lard. Mix
thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add a second cup of flour to the
bowl and mix well. After the second cup of flour has been mixed in,
the dough should start coming away from the sides of the bowl and
should begin to form a soft,sticky mass.

3. Measure out the third cup of flour. Sprinkle some over the work
surface and flour your hands generously. Remove all of the dough
from the bowl and begin to work the mass by kneading the additional
flour in a bit at a time.

4. To knead the dough, use the heel of your hands to push the dough
across the floured work surface in one sweep. Clench the dough in
your fist and twist and fold it over. Use the dough scraper to help
gather the wet dough that sticks to the work surface into a ball
while kneading. Repeat this action over and over again, adding only
as much flour as it takes to keep the dough from sticking to your
hands. Work quickly and don't be delicate. Slap and push the dough
around to develop its gluten and to facilitate its rolling out.
(Kneading pizza dough is a great way to relieve pent-up aggression!)

5. When the dough no longer feels sticky, push the heel of your hand
down into it and hold it there for 10 seconds. This will test its
readiness;if your hand comes up clean, the dough is done. If it
sticks, a bit more kneading will be necessary. Once the dough is no
longer sticky, do not overwork it by adding more flour. Continue
kneading only until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should spring
back when pressed) and no lines of raw white flour show. The whole
process should take 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Lightly oil a 2 quart bowl with vegetable oil. Roll the ball of
dough around in the bowl to coat it with a thin film of oil. Tightly
seal the bowl with plastic wrap to trap in the moisture and heat from
the yeast's carbon dioxide gases. This will help the dough rise
faster.

7. Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise
for 30 to 45 minutes.

8. Once the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down by pushing your
fist into it. All of the gases will quickly escape, and the dough
will collapse. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it again for
about 1 minute.

9. The dough is now ready to be patted and rolled into pizza, or to
undergo additional rising.

10. To raise dough a second time, add a bit more oil to the bowl and
repeat the procedure indicated for the first rising. Then the dough
is ready to be shaped.

Source: The Pizza Book by Evelyne Slomon Posted by Linda Davis