# Do u have easy way  roll out pizza dough to make Margherita?



## chinachef (May 16, 2004)

thin crust pizza


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## scott123 (May 16, 2004)

Tossing it/stretching it with your fists.

Hard at first, yes, but after a few times, much easier than rolling. And much better results too.


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## Thyme (May 19, 2004)

I agree with scott123, not only will flipping the dough by hand work wonders it will be an awesome skill that you can show off with if you can get the hang of it!

Alright, I am going to explain my way of streaching a pizza dough, kinda hard on the web but I'll try!

First - 
        Form the dough into a ball shaped like this:







Second - 
        Press the dough into its rough shape like this:





Third - 
        Continue streaching the dough in this manner:





Fourth - 
         Flour your hands and place the forming pizza onto your fists and slowly streach it out, rotating as needed.  Kinda like this guy (Who isnt me):





Fifth - 
       Continue in this manner until you have reached the desired thickness (or thinness).

Hope I helped!

-Thyme


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## -DEADLY SUSHI- (May 20, 2004)

Hey.... nice post Thyme!


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## Thyme (May 20, 2004)

I'm here to help!


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## chinachef (May 20, 2004)

*thanks*

hi thyme,i think i find a right person now.i from china,living in china,a chinese chef,
but very like western food,so come here,my english is poor,hope u understand what i say.
i want to open a western food restaurant in china,so now i finding and try a lot of recipe
from internet,may i get some recipe(data) from u,or tell me some good website,better have 
pic or video frequency.thanks.i still want to know your pizza dough recipe and how to make 
corn tortillas for (nachos or Creamy spinach dip with corn tortillas),oh i have JAMIE OLIVER
COOKING DVD.i very like.


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## Thyme (May 20, 2004)

Your English is just fine, I can understand everything you are saying.  I think it is great that you are trying to start out in the "Western" style of food.  I (and most likely the rest of the forum) are willing to help in any way we can!  Here is a great recipie for pizza dough that is great for streaching and flipping.  

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup warm (110 degree) tap water 
2 teaspoons active dry yeast 
4 tablespoons olive oil 

DIRECTIONS

(This is taken from the Food Network website, this also has flipping directions)

Place the flour and salt in a 2-quart mixing bowl and stir well to mix; make a well in the center. 
Measure the water and pour it into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the water and leave it to soften 3 or 4 minutes. Whisk the yeast and water together then whisk in 1 tablespoon of the oil. 

Pour the liquid mixture to the well into the flour and stir with a rubber spatula to form a soft, sticky dough. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface. Knead the dough gently, folding it over on itself, and scraping it off the surface with a spatula or plastic scraper if it is very sticky. Avoid adding more flour to the dough -- that will produce a tough pizza. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and no longer so sticky. 

Rinse and dry the bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon oil all around the inside of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Turn the ball upside down, so that the top surface of the dough is oiled, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise at room temperature about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. For advance preparation, cover and refrigerate the dough several hours or even overnight. 

To form the pizza crust, generously flour the work surface. Flour your hand and scrape the dough from the bowl in one piece, without stretching or folding it. Place the dough on the floured work surface so that what was on top in the bowl is now underneath. 

Scatter a tablespoon or so of flour over the dough and press down on it with the palm of the hand. Be careful to keep the dough an even disk shape. If the dough is freshly made, it may resist slightly. Should that happen, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes, then resume the process. If the dough has been rested for a long time either in the refrigerator or at room temperature, it will respond easily. 

Form your right hand into a fist and begin to press the dough in a circle, about 1/2-inch in from the edge of the dough, with the middle joints of your fingers (as though knocking on a door). Pull gently with your other hand on the edge of the dough, opposite where the dough is being pressed. Continue around the crust two or three times in this manner to flatten and widen it. For a rectangular crust, press and pull the dough into a rectangular shape -- use a rolling pin of the dough resists. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil onto a round or rectangular pizza pan and spread it with the palm of one hand. Fold the crust in half and transfer it to the oiled pan. Unfold the dough and press it into place in the pan with the palms of both hands, gently stretching from the center outward. If the dough resists, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes, then resume the process. 

When the dough is properly stretched, it should be about 1/8-inch thick and have a 1/2-inch wide border which is slightly thicker. 

Set racks at the lowest and highest levels of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. 

Top the pizza with any of the suggestions that follow the recipe. Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for about 30 minutes. After about 10 minutes, lift an end of the pizza with a metal spatula to check that the bottom is not burning. If the bottom is coloring too quickly, slide another pan under the first one. If the bottom is light golden, check again after another 10 minutes. When the pizza is done, the top should be sizzling gently, and the bottom a dark brown. If the top has not colored sufficiently when the bottom is done, place pizza on top rack of the oven for an additional 5 minutes

A good website to go to is www.foodnetwork.com, they have lessons that you can watch for everything from cake decorating to knife handleing!

-Thyme


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## chinachef (May 21, 2004)

*thanks*

great!i must try it!for cheesecake,can i change sour cream to yogurt(sour cream
is hard to find in my hometown)?which brand cream cheese u use?i can see your
recipe is low cost,for me is great!for pizza dough,can i add more ingredients,
like milk,milk powder,honey...oh,in the western country,how to make bbq rib in the
restaurant,i like eat tony roma's bbq rib,yum!this is my email address(wch21cn@yahoo
.com.cn)where r u from?in american?


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## Thyme (May 21, 2004)

I suggest that you use the other sections of the forum to ask your questions about the Cheesecake and the Tony Roma's Ribs.  

As for the pizza, I suppose that you could try to add things, I know that I usually add about a tablespoon or two of honey and the dough turns out fine.  Good luck!

-Thyme


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