Adapted from Brian Lagerstrom. Makes three 8-inch pizzas.
Choosing a beer
The rule of thumb is “choose a beer you’d like to drink,” but if your favorite beer is half Bud Light, half peach schnapps, you’re gonna have a bad time. Stick with something bready and unflavored. I’ve had the best luck with hefeweizens and pilsners.
Ingredients
- 315g to 335g beer (roughly one bottle)
- 525g flour
- 8g salt
- 12g sugar (if your beer is bitter, double this amount)
- 11g instant dry yeast
- 22g olive oil
- Cornmeal or semolina, for dusting
- Sprayable cooking oil
Directions
- Heat the beer in a saucepan over medium heat until it reachs 98 F (about 30 seconds or so).
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and olive oil. Use the dough hook attachment to mix for 30 seconds or until combined. Stream in the warm beer and continue to mix for 7-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic and “walks” around the inside of the bowl.
- Weigh the dough and divide into three equal pieces, about 300g each. Shape each piece into a tight ball. Place them on an oiled surface, cover with a damp cheesecloth or linen towel, and rest for 15 minutes.
- Flatten and gently stretch each dough into a circle—as close to the final size of the pizza as possible, but don’t force it, you can stretch it more later if needed. Cover again and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat. Anywhere from 450 F on up will do the trick.
- Generously dust a pizza peel or cutting board with cornmeal or semolina. Place a dough circle on it and finish stretching if needed. Give it a good shake to make sure it’s not stuck to the surface. Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings.
- Spray the preheated baking sheet with cooking oil. Slide the pizza onto it.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Repeat from step 6 for the remaining pizzas.
Bonus recipe: Instant pizza sauce
Dump an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce into a bowl. Add something from one or more of the following groups:
FRESH OR DRIED HERBS:
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Italian seasoning
SALT:
- Regular salt
- Garlic salt
ACID:
- Citric acid powder (a little goes a long way)
- White vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
ENHANCEMENTS:
- Tomato paste (for a richer flavor)
- Olive oil (for a silkier, shinier sauce)
- Sugar (for that pizza-chain sweetness)
Bonus recipe: Permission to use whatever the hell cheese you want
Mozzarella is traditional, but anything that comes in a brick at the grocery store will be fine. Monterey Jack: delicious. Cheddar: totally fine. Cheddar Jack: obviously not a problem. Muenster: superb. A mix of any of the above, with a little parmesan for good measure: perfect.