Dewey’s Pizza Crust – Copycat Recipe

Book Update:  Our book club finished discussing “Skeletons in the Zahara” by Dean King, and as usual I came back enjoying the book even more.  You have to get passed the boring introduction of the desert and Colonial America.  Then, they get shipwrecked and the story becomes more interesting.  The trials and tribulations Captain Riley and his crew suffered after shipwrecking on the western coast of Africa are just unimaginable.  Even more astounding is the crew’s faith, especially Captain Riley’s, throughout the horrific ordeal.  I would go into more detail, but it doesn’t seem quite right to do so in a post about food.

For August, we are reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.  I broke out in a fit of hysterical laughter because well… we just read “Skeletons in the Zahara” and the contrast just seemed very amusing to me.  It was also funny because I checked this book out just a few months ago.  But, due to the bad reviews of it on Amazon I took it back to the library.  I’ll have to give it another go.  I need a babysitter in October for when the third book of the Divergent series comes out.  I can’t wait!  Veronica Roth – write faster!

Recipe Update:  I love love love Dewey’s Pizza.  Their crust, toppings, everything.  Especially the crust.  A lot of popular pizza dough recipes I have found like Pioneer Woman’s and Money Saving Mom yield a very thick crust.  I don’t want thick  – I want thin (but not too thin) and chewy.  This one is it!  It makes 2 dough balls.  Of course, you can freeze them and use them later or bake to your heart’s content.

The crust is very malleable.  I think if I had let it rest at room temperature a little longer I could have gotten the crust thinner than posted.  Plus, I really stink at rolling out pizza dough….  But, still.  The chewy crust held up nicely.  The yeast flavor was well developed and the inside of the crust looks very similar to Dewey’s.  The back of the crust does not.  But I’m also cooking this in a toaster oven and not a 600+ degree pizzeria pizza oven.  If it were not hot outside, I would have turned the oven and pizza stone up to 500 degrees.  I guess I could have grilled it…Doh!

The ingredient ratios for this recipe originate from someone who took a pizza making class at Dewey’s Pizza.  I created my own directions based on the fact that it is rumored online that Dewey’s also uses a 2 day cold rise.  Apparently, there are whole entire websites dedicated to finding out the best of each different type of pizza crust: Chicago style, New York style, etc.  I think it is quite fascinating how a handful of 6 ingredients can create such different results.

Dewey’s Pizza Dough – Copycat
makes 2 – 12″ pizzas

1 ½ cups of warm water (105-110 F) (but not hotter than 115 degrees or the yeast will die)
2 Tb. Sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. of yeast (for a 2 day cold rise; if using same day, use the full packet of yeast of 2 and 1/4 t.)
1 ½ tsp.  Salt
2 Tb.  Olive Oil
4 cups (18 oz) bread flour (you can substitute AP flour, just won’t be as chewy)

1.  In your measuring cup, measure out the warm water.  Add the sugar and yeast.  Wait 10 minutes to make sure the yeast is alive and foaming at the top.

2.  Add your salt, olive oil and bread flour to a large bowl or mixing bowl.  Stir together.

3.  Add your yeast/water mixture.  Stir together to form a dough.  Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes, OR put your dough hook on your mixer and let the mixer do the work for you.  Once done, split it into two dough balls and place them in an bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray or wiped down with olive oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap.

4.  For a shorter rise time and using the whole 2 and 1/4 tsp. of yeast, allow to rise 75 minutes.  For a longer rise time and about 1 tsp of yeast, store in the fridge for 1-2 days.

5.  Roll out each dough ball into a 12″ circle.  Add toppings.  Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees.  Or use a cookie sheet with parchment around 450 degrees.  Bake 7-10 minutes.