Fat free pizza

[slojure]

Is it possible to make fat free pizza dough? I made it last week but wasnt strechy. I dont want to use agar agar in my dough...

[AnnetteW]

The stretchiness comes from the gluten. Perhaps it just didn't have enough gluten activation.

I usually just make a white bread dough, or my sourdough recipe, and turn it into a pizza dough. I'm an experienced bread baker though, and can go by feel a lot. Any basic recipe should be fine, without the 1-2 T of olive oil.

[AnnetteW]

Here's the recipe I use if I'm not making sourdough:

1 T yeast
2 cup warm water
1.5 t. sugar
1.5 t. salt
4 cup flour (white all purpose, or a combo of what I have around)

I always add the yeast and sugar to the warm water, stir well and let sit a few minutes till I see yeast bubbles. Honestly, this isn't necessary anymore with good fresh yeast, but I still tend to do it.

Add the flour and salt. I'll add about 3 cups of the flour, then add more as needed.

I use my stand mixer or do it by hand, depending on my mood. Don't over knead with the stand mixer. Then form a ball (in the same bowl) cover and let rise. Plop it on a well floured surface, form it into a ball shape and cover with the mixing pot for 30 min to let it rest a bit. At this point I can tell how the dough will react. Sometimes it will be springier than other times (letting it rest a bit keeps it from being quite so springy.)

That recipe will make 4 personal pizzas of a good size, we often make our own. I usually roll out a bit on a floured surface before moving it to the pizza sheets. If you roll it out to size you can then put it on top of a bit of cornmeal on the pizza pan, which I do for myself, but I do grease the sheets for other family members, as it is easier and they don't eat it my way.

[slojure]

Thank you, really appreciate your help

[michaelswarm]

Certainly possible to make bread without added oil, salt or even sugar. Can be just flour and water.

I’ve been experimenting with 100% whole wheat pizza and bread.

Actually started with my kids going to preschool. Every day of the week is a different food day. Thursday is bread day. They learn that bread day follows taco day, and is followed by soup day. They know the food days of the week before they know the official names of the days of the week.

So when vacation started I kept the same routine at home, and started making bread, except our home bread was 100% whole wheat.

DOUGH
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup water
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp sugar (used by yeast)
1/4 tsp salt

I copied this at home and added pizza day on Saturday. We started with basic mix, knead, rise, shape, bake process. My kids knead, shape, bake and then eat their own bread. And I added pizza day for Saturday. They shape pizzas, bread sticks, pretzels, snails and anything they can imagine.

The kids don’t care that the bread doesn’t have big air holes or a crisp brown crust. But I’ve been trying to improve the bread.

Now adding mxing with a food processor and an overnight soak. Both are supposed to help with 100% whole wheat breads. Besides flavor the overnight soak is supposed to create elasticity without kneading. I already soak dry beans and brown rice, so makes sense to soak whole wheat flour too. Food processor is just quick substitute for slower stand mixer or hand kneading. Still in middle of learning.

Any master 100% whole wheat bakers out there to share tips and tricks?

[f00die]

baking the bread in a covered container (ala clibanus)
will yield a softer crust
ime 100% whole grain bread crusts are inedibly hard when baked uncovered
gotta dip them in soup or shave off the crust and discard it
add some other grains/bean flours to create a softer springier bread
with more interesting flavors
the overnight gluten development, perhaps 24 hours in the fridge
helps develop tastes
yeah, no need for oil
flour, water, yeast
salt and sugar optional
but my son likes sweeter breads (he eats bread plain)
so i add sugar for the taste
as for the big "artisanal" holes in the crumb etc.
and other aesthetic effects,
ive found that softness and tastiness
are the main things i care about

[EvanG]

I used to make it all the time with a wet dough that is typical of 5 minute or no knead bread. It absolutely works great, and people love the results. That dough is just flour, water, yeast and salt.
When using a wet dough, it's harder to use a peel. I generally cook it on a perforated pizza pan, and that works great. You can use a peel if you use enough flour and cornmeal. You need plenty of additional flour even with the perforated pan.