Pizza dough with a side of garlic knots

My mom started making Chef Boyardee Pizza when I was little and I thought that was the best darned thing ever. Then she started making her own dough in a giant green Tupperware bowl. She explained how the yeast was asleep and she had to feed it. That the yeast belched and that is what made the dough rise and get flavor. I was both fascinated and grossed out all rolled up into one. The dough was sealed up in that container and stuck in the garage in the summer or near the wood burning stove in the winter. I loved watching that dough.

Maybe that is why I still like making bread so much. The smell of belching yeast just makes my heart flutter :)

Pizza Dough
1T yeast
7oz lukewarm water
2T sugar
2 3/4C flour
2-3t kosher salt
1T olive oil

-dissolve yeast in water with sugar. Allow enough time for yeast to activate and become foamy.
-dump the rest into the mixing bowl and knead on lowest speed for about 10min.
-drizzle a bit of olive oil onto the dough ball and roll around until covered. Cover with plastic wrap.
-allow to rise until double in size at room temp or allow the dough to rise in the fridge over night
- roll or stretch into desired shape
- add your favorite toppings
-bake at 500F for about 7min


If you want something really good then double the pizza dough recipe. Cut it in half and use half of it to make garlic knots.

Garlic Knots
1 recipe pizza dough
1/2c butter
4-6 crushed garlic cloves
salt

-melt butter with garlic and salt and set aside.
-plop dough onto work area and form it into something that resembles Jabba the Hutt.
-keep half of the dough covered with plastic wrap while you work with the other end.
-using your bench knife, lop off sections that are about the size of a Snickers bar.
-roll in your hand like playdoh until it is long enough to loop into a knot.
-place on cookie sheet and brush with garlic butter.
-bake at 375F for 10-12min.
-brush with garlic butter before serving