My preference lately has been for cracker-style pizzas. From a technique and ingredients standpoint that generally means:
AP Flour – To limit gluten strength
Limited Kneading – To limit gluten formation
Low Hydration – This is what works for me. It’s possible to make crackers and crackery flatbreads with a wide range of water input. I’ve had the most success with smaller amounts of water.
The Addition of Fat/Shortening – Limiting gluten by interfering with the chains.
Docking The Dough – May be optional. I mostly use it when there are few or no toppings. It helps prevent the dough from poofing up like a pita.
Baking Longer At Lower Temperatures – To drive out moisture without over-browning.
The recipe:
320g AP flour, 180g water (56% hydration), 7g kosher salt (2.2%), 20g extra-virgin olive oil (6%), 1 tsp instant yeast.
Mix on low speed for 6 minutes. Cover and let rise for 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Roll out the dough very thinly and place on a baking sheet. Top with the leftovers above, or whatever you have kicking around the refrigerator.
Bake for 16 minutes. Top with cheese of your choice, I used goat cheese. Bake until the cheese is “done”, another 5-8 minutes.
I cut the pizza in half and forgot all about taking a picture:
I was pretty happy with how the pizza came out. All of that time in the oven crisped up the crust, and it crisped the salami too. The mushrooms transitioned into little flavor bombs.
Very easy and very tasty. It was a nice example of less is more. Less kneading, less handling, and light on ingredients.
FlatbreadGarden 