Simply doughlicious OR Radiator pizza

Growing up, my dad always made the best pizza. He still does. 

Every time I go out for a slice, or order in for a pie, I end up being disappointed. It just doesn't hit the spot the way my dad's does.

It's the dough. Most are simply too thin, or worse, slightly burned. But not my dad's. His is "just right."

Or so goes the Goldilocks principle.

I'd been talking up my dad, and his pizza-making skills, for several months when a friend mentioned that he'd like to learn from the best.

Ask and ye shall receive, my friend.  

I had always assumed that the pizza master had created his own recipe but I was wrong. Apparently it's actually Adelle Davis' pizza dough that I've been enjoying all these years. 

Who knew?

Let's Cook it Right is a book Davis wrote in 1947. It was very different from most cookbooks written at the time because it focused on the importance of eating unprocessed foods and discouraged the use of pesticides and additives.

I guess Davis, and my dad, were ahead of their time. 

I tried finding the recipe online, to no avail, so what you're getting below is my dad's recollection of it (though he's made it over a thousand times so you're probably good to go):

• 1 cup of warm water or milk (40 degrees)
• 1 package of dry yeast
• 1 tbsp of sugar (can be replaced with honey or maple syrup)

Combine the ingredients to proof (bubble) the yeast. After 5-10 minutes it will have formed a "scum" and be ready for use. 

Mix the yeast mixture with 2 1/2 cups of flour (feel free to use white and/or whole wheat or any combination thereof). To this, add 1 tsp of salt and mix with a wooden spoon. Finally, add 1 tbsp of good olive oil and combine.

Work the mixture with your hands, set aside (preferably in a Tupperware), cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm location (like an oven with the light on but the heat off or a warm radiator) until doubled in size (2 to 4 hours).

Once the dough is ready, roll it out with a rolling pin and place it on a lightly oiled pizza pan. Add the toppings (the master suggests little pieces of garlic in the corners, tomato sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, green and/or red peppers and grated mozzarella cheese).

Let the pizza rise on the pan with all of the toppings for a few minutes before putting it in a 450 degree oven, on the top grill, for 5 minutes before moving it to a lower grill and baking it for another 5 to 10 minutes (when it starts to sizzle it's ready to be removed). 

 
This recipe makes 2-3 small pizzas or one extra-large one.    

Enjoy!