Being a mum of two school going kids, I don’t exactly get the time to work at a leisurely pace. I feel like as soon as I’m up at 6am, then it’s a race until dinner. My kids have school at two different times and that means rush to get from one place to another. These days the days are a little more relaxed, so I have been able to refine my recipes and get back to innovating new recipes to share with all of you.
The dough is so versatile. This dough can be used to make: pizza, pizza dough balls, calzones, cinnamon rolls, garlic bread, hot dog buns, sausage rolls, pretzels. You name it, you can use it for! This dough freezes well and makes a busy day a little easier. Sometimes I’ll double the recipe and make and freeze mini pizzas as snacks for the kids.
Once a week, my kids make their own DIY pizzas. So, I will make the dough for them. They roll it out, rest it, add the sauce and toppings and pop it in the oven. My kids never agree on the same dinner, so this recipe is the best. Saad loves pepperoni pizza and Hadi loves calzones. Couldn’t be further apart on flavors too. My husband and in- laws love a thin crispy base. This recipe works well for that too. Just spread it out super thin and toss it in the oven with all your favorite toppings. The day we have pizza, my countertop is full of small bowls, filled with topping options. My boys like to try toppings on their own before adding them to their pizza. I love this idea. Its better than them adding the toppings and refusing to eat it afterwards. The personal pizzas mean that they know that the pizza is their own. It makes them feel proud that it is their creation!
So, let’s get to it!
Preparation time 5 hours (including resting time and kneading time)
Yields 4-5 pizzas/ 24 mini pizzas/ 4 calzones/ 24 hotdog buns/ 24 cinnamon rolls/ 20 pretzels
Ingredients
3 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 cup warm water (40-46c)
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup butter
1 cup milk
5-6 cups flour. (start with 5 cups and increase if necessary)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon eka- 300 bread improver
Instructions
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes to bloom.
Place the milk and butter in a pan and heat on medium until very hot, but not boiled. Turn off the heat and let it cool until warm to the touch.
Place the activated yeast, 2 cups flour, and one egg in the bowl and beat on slow with the hook attachment for 2 minutes.
Add 3 cups flour, salt and the bread improver to the yeast mixture. Mix on low.
Slowly add the milk to the mixer and mix on low until combined.
Then increase the speed on the mixer for 5 minutes until the dough comes together.
Place the dough in a well -oiled bowl. Let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
The dough turns out quite soft. The reason for this is so you can add a little flour when its time to knead. And instead of getting a really tough dough, the dough is so soft and pliable.
Use as needed.
Adaptations
Check these adaptations on how to use the dough
Mini pizzas: roll out the dough into 4-inch rounds. Prick with a fork and top with sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings. Bake at 200c for 10-12 minutes. (if you want to freeze them then cool them completely. Wrap them in clingfilm or small sandwich bags and freeze them for up to 3 months. To bake, put them directly in the oven for 15 minutes at 180c)
Calzones: roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick, spread the sauce, toppings and cheese on one half of the dough. Fold the other side over and crimp the edges. Brush with oil and bake.
Cinnamon rolls: divide the dough in two and roll out each half into a rectangle. The dough should be ¼ inch thick. Spread half a cup of butter on the dough on each rectangle, leaving an inch empty on one of the long sides. Mix cinnamon with soft brown sugar. Mix well and sprinkle half onto each rectangle. Roll the dough up and cut 12 rolls using string. Bake until golden and top with cream cheese frosting. For the detailed recipe, check the soft cinnamon rolls recipe.
Pretzels: make 18 smaller dough balls and shape into pretzel shapes. Boil 6 cups of water with ¼ cup baking soda. Boil pretzels for one minute on each side. Egg wash and salt. Bake at 200c for 20 minutes until golden.
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