Quick Beer Pizza Crust

From King Arthur Flour
Makes 1 large pizza or 2 smaller

Ingredients
4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Pizza Dough Flavor, optional
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

12 fl oz room temperature beer (1 glass bottle)

Directions
Combine flour, pizza dough flavor (if using), instant yeast, baking powder, salt and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Add beer and mix well to combine.

Knead the dough either with your hands or a mixer with dough hook. In the mixer, it should take about 7 minutes to knead. By hand is longer, but more satisfying. Knead the dough until you have a soft, smooth dough – it should hardly stick to the mixing bowl or your hands.

Form the dough into a round ball and allow it to rise for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Flatten the dough on a flat surface to de-gas, then separate into 2 dough balls or leave whole if making a large pizza.

Preheat the oven to 450F.

If you have a pizza stone, this is the place to use it. If you don’t, use a large round or rectangular metal pan. Cover with a little olive oil.

King Arthur does this a bit differently, but I went back to my old school ways from that after school job. I set the dough in a little corn meal – this allows it to come off the stone or pan a bit easier. Then, I fold one hand over the other until they form sort of a triangle. Press your hands into the edge of the dough, about 1/2″ inside the circle. Press into the dough lightly, forming the crust edge. You should be able to turn the dough as you press, making your way around the entire pie.

When the edge has been pressed, pick the dough up. Holding it so that the flat of your hand is in the center of the dough, pass it back and forth between your flat hands, allowing it to rotate as you do. This should stretch the dough evenly. When you think it’s roughly the right size for your pan, turn the dough down onto it.

You may need to stretch a bit more to fit the pan, but do this while the dough is on the pan, pulling it gently towards the edges.

Place the dough in the oven, sans toppings, for 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven and top as you see fit. If you place the toppings under any cheese, you’ll have a less greasy pizza.

Bake until the cheese and crust turn golden brown. This can vary by the amount of toppings you use, so just watch it closely.

To recreate our exact pizza:

Quick Beer Crust Pizza Dough
Marinara sauce
Diced grilled curry chicken
Sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
Fresh Basil leaves, torn
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Italian Seasoning herbs
Dried Oregano
Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper

Follow directions for dough, placing on pizza stone or pan. Top with marinara, then evenly distribute chicken, mushrooms and basil on top. Cover with shredded Mozzarella. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning herbs, dried Oregano, Parmesan, Salt and Pepper to taste.

Bake until golden brown.