Do I really need to add sugar? Making my own pizza?

EvgeniZyntx

space_case wrote: »

yes but you can use honey instead for a lower GI sweetener. I took a pizza making class once and that's what they said to do.

http://www.food.com/recipe/honey-pizza-dough-awesome-117941

The GI of sugar or honey isn't relevant. It's a small amount, consumed by the yeast.

LKArgh

JanetYellen wrote: »

For the pizza dough? Do I really need to add that sugar? I threw out sugar in a bad day (flushed down toilet).
Here is the recipe in case it makes any difference.
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
Great Value: Pure Cane Sugar, 20 Oz
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

You cannot use self rising flour in your recipe. Or you will end up with something between pizza and cake.
So, go get some plain flour, this is your major problem.
Sugar helps with getting the yeast to work. It can be done without the sugar though, just let the initial yeast mixrure rest for a little longer.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Why on earth would you flush food down the toilet instead of using a rubbish bin?

joinn68

Dough WILL rise without sugar. You just need to work the dough longer to activate the gluten, and to let it rise longer as well to give the yeast some time to work. I don't know why everybody says you absolutely need sugar. Have you ever had a baguette? Recipe doesn't have any sugar. A lot of european breads don't.

MelaniaTrump

I will do this. I will look at my fake maple syrup and maybe add a touch of that. I found out I have both self-rising and all purpose. I wish I would have looked harder first. Neither is expired.
I will leave self-rising alone. I will go by that recipe. I will have pizza tonight. I will.

earlnabby

Yes, you need sugar if you want your yeast dough to rise in a reasonable amount of time, but it is not absolutely necessary. 1 teaspoon per package of yeast is not much at all. It is a matter of waiting an hour or 2-3 hours for the dough to double.

Flour: don't use self-rising in a yeast recipe. All-purpose or bread flour is best. Bread flour is made from a harder wheat so it has more protein (aka gluten) which holds the tiny air bubbles better than all-purpose and gives your bread a better rise and better texture. All-purpose is fully sufficient, especially if you don't bake yeast breads often. The unbleached tends to rise a little better than the bleached and I have not noticed any difference when making more delicate things like cookies and cakes. FYI: cake flour is made from a softer wheat and has less gluten so your cakes will have a really delicate texture. All-purpose is from a "middle of the road" wheat.

MelaniaTrump

Thanks everyone. You won't believe this, but I went to my neighbor.
She had something called pizza yeast packet, and some sugar. I'm all set. I am sorry. I should have done that first. I just realized I don't have a rolling pin....

earlnabby

JanetYellen wrote: »

Thanks everyone. You won't believe this, but I went to my neighbor.
She had something called pizza yeast packet, and some sugar. I'm all set. I am sorry. I should have done that first. I just realized I don't have a rolling pin....

You don't need a rolling pin. Your fingers do the job just fine.

AnnPT77

JanetYellen wrote: »

Thanks everyone. You won't believe this, but I went to my neighbor.
She had something called pizza yeast packet, and some sugar. I'm all set. I am sorry. I should have done that first. I just realized I don't have a rolling pin....

You can use any *sturdy* cylindrical object, like a sturdy glass bottle or something (If the bottle has a neck, don't apply lots of pressure there; apply pressure on the main cylinder, and use more rolling & less pressure to get the right result.) Wine bottles can be good, for example.

quiltlovinlisa

My basic pizza dough

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

I usually use fresh ground whole wheat flour instead of white all purpose and halve the salt. Freshly ground pepper or parsley flakes add a wonderful kick to the crust. After initial rising, spread out on sheet and bake at 425 F. for 5 minutes. Take out of oven and top as desired before final baking.

It's seriously the best crust recipe I've ever found. It's versatile, works for any type of pizza.

The sugar in the flour is enough for the yeast.

JLG1986

you need a little something sugary to get the yeast going faster - honey works just as well as white sugar, if you have that. A teaspoon or two is all it takes. And yes, it will rise without sugar because the flour can provide the same energy to the yeast, it just takes longer and at least in my experience, never gets quite as fluffy.

And nope, don't use the self rising flour with a yeast bread recipe - white whole wheat flour is great stuff, or you could use a regular unbleached white.

It's possible I bake too much lol. One of my favorite pastimes. If you're not a fan of baking, Trader Joe's sells fresh bagged pizza dough that you just have to pat out in a pan and bake - whole wheat too. Good stuff.

FluffySandwich

I've used honey when I didn't have sugar... it still worked. I've also made pizza dough with all purpose flour several times I just did a couple of nights ago... was delicious!

conniehgtv

read a recipe recently haven't tried it yet but it makes sense. Flour and greek yogurt will look for it and be back

conniehgtv

2-Ingredient Pizza Dough makes 2 medium pizza crusts or one extra large pizza crust 1 cup Greek Yogurt (I used Fage Non-Fat Plain) 1 - 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour Combine yogurt and 1 cup flour in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary until combined. Knead on medium high for 5 minutes. - See more at: http://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2014/02/2-ingredient-pizza-dough-recipe.html#sthash.xorKPpKR.dpuf

rankinsect

JanetYellen wrote: »

Thanks everyone. You won't believe this, but I went to my neighbor.
She had something called pizza yeast packet, and some sugar. I'm all set. I am sorry. I should have done that first. I just realized I don't have a rolling pin....

I never roll pizza. You don't want it uniform thickness, you want a thicker bit for the crust.

I stretch my pizza dough, which is how pizza places do it too. Tossing is really just a fancy way to stretch.

WinoGelato

JanetYellen wrote: »

I will have pizza tonight. I will.

Dominos. Problem solved...

JLG1986

WinoGelato wrote: »

JanetYellen wrote: »

I will have pizza tonight. I will.

Dominos. Problem solved...

But this way she burns off all the calories making the pizza! I think it's a brilliant plan

enterdanger

you can activate the yeast with a tsp of sugar. That is how much I put in my pizza dough. I don't believe in rolling the dough either. It pops all the beautiful air bubbles that make your crust yummy and light.

VeryKatie

As far as I have heard, baking is like doing chemistry experiments. If you don't follow the recipe exactly, don't expect it to turn out well. However, looking for an alternate recipe is an option.

Marilyn0924

JanetYellen wrote: »

Thanks everyone. You won't believe this, but I went to my neighbor.
She had something called pizza yeast packet, and some sugar. I'm all set. I am sorry. I should have done that first. I just realized I don't have a rolling pin....

@JanetYellen, thank you for making my Monday so entertaining. I actually started laughing out loud.
Easy dough recipe that doesn't require yeast:
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup water
1 pinch salt
Pulse in your food processor until well combined and then either hand-stretch or roll out. (Makes 2)

aolsenveatch

Yes, you need sugar. No, self-rising flour is not a good idea. It won't be harmful, but All Purpose or bread flour are far better choices if you want it to taste good and both can be mixed with whole wheat flour, if you like. Making crust at home in a food processor is fast, easy, and lets you control how much olive oil and sugar you add. If you are really opposed to making your own, Trader Joe's is known for their pizza dough, so a good alternative. However, you can also make a double batch yourself and keep some in the fridge until you need it.

kdav88

chastity0921 wrote: »

And bread flour is more powdery. Self-rising has leavening already added.

It isn't so much about the texture (flours can be different grinds even within the same 'type'). Bread flour has more protein, and therefore will produce more gluten able to hold more carbon dioxide (given off by the yeast), giving you that coveted bread/pizza crust chew and crumb (baker's speak for the air bubbles in your bread).

That said, all purpose flour can make a damn good pizza crust, so if you aren't baking bread, I wouldn't worry about that. As someone mentioned above, I never buy self-rising flour because I can easily make it myself if needed.

Given that you're likely not going to be giving your pizza dough a long time to rise, I suggest adding that little bit of sugar (or honey, or molasses, or maple syrup, etc.) to feed the yeast and generate the carbon dioxide faster, which creates the bubbles in the dough. Mmmm what a great texture.

For a great, really simple pizza dough recipe, try this: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pizza It includes a few suggestions on ways to tweak the ingredients to get your desired effect, and the dough freezes really well for you to have dough on hand for a later date.

Don't worry about the rolling pin. As others have said, just stretch it gently til it's the desired thickness. The dough is pretty hardy stuff. Bon appetite!

MelaniaTrump

I took notes and I did it ! It was a lot of work and I may never do this again. But it was worth it - once.
I ATE PIZZA and a lot of it. Less than 700 calories total ! I'm stuffed. What a supportive and nice group of people are her. Unreal how nice people were.

earlnabby

VeryKatie wrote: »

As far as I have heard, baking is like doing chemistry experiments. If you don't follow the recipe exactly, don't expect it to turn out well. However, looking for an alternate recipe is an option.

Depends on what you are baking. Bread is probably the most forgiving: the only thing you can do totally wrong is have the water too hot for the yeast so it kills it. Other than that, there isn't much you can do to ruin it. Cookies are a little less forgiving, cakes more so, and candy needs to be exact.

OyGeeBiv

Now I want pizza

sbrooks0387

thin crust recipe i use:

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp of active dry yeast

combine, let sit 10 mins somewhere warm

add:
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour (could prob do all wheat, but would have to increase the water some, i think)

stir, then kneed on a floured surface for 3 mins
let set for 10 mins in a warm place

then spread out on your pizza pan, poke liberally with a fork, bake at 500 for 5 mins, top as desired bake 8-10 mins longer.

i don't like a lot of crust, so this is a thin more crunch crust.

AnnPT77

sbrooks0387 wrote: »

thin crust recipe i use:

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp of active dry yeast

combine, let sit 10 mins somewhere warm

add:
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour (could prob do all wheat, but would have to increase the water some, i think)

stir, then kneed on a floured surface for 3 mins
let set for 10 mins in a warm place

then spread out on your pizza pan, poke liberally with a fork, bake at 500 for 5 mins, top as desired bake 8-10 mins longer.

i don't like a lot of crust, so this is a thin more crunch crust.

When substituting all whole wheat flour for white, it's usually necessary to knead longer, also (to develop the gluten, as there's less gluten in whole wheat flour). Kneading twice as long is a rule of thumb, if you don't know how the dough is supposed to feel.

Or you can use nearly all whole wheat, and substitute 1-2 tablespoons of powdered gluten (aka vital wheat gluten, instant gluten, pure gluten flour) for 1-2 tablespoons of the whole wheat flour in each cupful the recipe requires. Health food stores sometimes have the gluten in bulk so you don't have to buy a bunch. Increases the protein a bit, too.

Lovee_Dove7

It will eat the sugar in the flour eventually. The yeast will eat the small amount of sugar added, if left to proof long enough.

Down the toilet??

Steve_ApexNC

kdav88 wrote: »

It isn't so much about the texture (flours can be different grinds even within the same 'type'). Bread flour has more protein, and therefore will produce more gluten able to hold more carbon dioxide (given off by the yeast), giving you that coveted bread/pizza crust chew and crumb (baker's speak for the air bubbles in your bread).

That said, all purpose flour can make a damn good pizza crust, so if you aren't baking bread, I wouldn't worry about that. As someone mentioned above, I never buy self-rising flour because I can easily make it myself if needed.

Given that you're likely not going to be giving your pizza dough a long time to rise, I suggest adding that little bit of sugar (or honey, or molasses, or maple syrup, etc.) to feed the yeast and generate the carbon dioxide faster, which creates the bubbles in the dough. Mmmm what a great texture.

For a great, really simple pizza dough recipe, try this: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pizza It includes a few suggestions on ways to tweak the ingredients to get your desired effect, and the dough freezes really well for you to have dough on hand for a later date.

Don't worry about the rolling pin. As others have said, just stretch it gently til it's the desired thickness. The dough is pretty hardy stuff. Bon appetite!

this.

Just a few things to add for those who don't deal in dough very often....
1. Bread, AP, and Cake flours all differ by the amount of protein inside. However, this isn't evident on most labels due to rounding allowed by the government (US. Don't know about other country food labels).
2. Gluten is formed when you mix flour with water. When you knead the dough, you are actually developing long sheets of glutten. We will come back to these long strands of protein in a second.
3. Yeast is a living organism. It eats sugar* and passes off gas as waste. Yes, basically it farts. The yeast farts are caught and held by long strands of protein...see point 2 (told you we would get back to it). This is what gives you the really nice texture. But....
4. After the first knead, you punch down the dough. Then you form the dough and often let it rise again (Second rise depends on what you are making; pizza dough it isn't needed for thin crust but useful for thick). Why do it again? The first rising is about developing flavor. As it turns out, gluten by itself is kinda bland and yeast farts make it taste rather good (as does that little pinch of salt in the recipe).
5. And since I am babbling (yes, I need a life) do you know why you rest dough between punch down and shaping? Yup, because those gluten strands way back from step 2 need to relax. If you don't rest your dough, it can be hard to shape even if you are just going to smash it out with a rolling pin. Let it rest.
6. You will get some oven spring or rise the first few moments in the oven. In fact, it won't stop rising until the yeast dies which is somewhere around 120ish degrees if I recall correctly.
7. Self rising flour - this is a flour with leaven-er already added along with some salt. 'Cept the leavening agent is Baking Powder, not yeast. Baking Powder is a chemical leavner that activates with moisture. Baking Powder is a rather quick gas release which is to say it shoots its load a bit to fast to make satisfying bread rise and it certainly isn't near as yummily as yeast farts.

sorry for my long winded additions. I'm nerdy that way.

*as others pointed out, you don't need the sugar but this does speed up the initial fermentation. If you have time to wait, you don't need the sugar. That said, a tsp of sugar across an entire pizza crust is negligible to you.

lisabelleg33

I always use honey in my bread/pizza mixtures...never sugar