white wine & honey pizza dough

In case you hadn’t noticed, I changed my blog layout. I hope you like it. It feels way more like home to me.

Because I love pizza so dang much, I thought I’d make pizza dough (a new, equally tasty version of my standby) for my inaugural post for my new layout. There are still a few tweaks and twinges to work on around here, so pardon me while we transition. In the meantime, however, make this pizza dough for dinner tonight. That’s not a request.

OK, that was rude. Pretty please make this dough for dinner tonight.

Let me tell you why.

Though I love my trusty pizza dough recipe, it just wasn’t cutting it in the flavor department. Sure, it’s moist and soft and holds pizza toppings with such talent, but on its own, it’s just… Meh. This baby, however, is a star. It’s kind of upstaging the other one a little. It’s like the Liberace of pianists, or the Lady Gaga of… well, no one compares to her, really. But you get the point.

I’ve never been one to cook, let alone bake, with wine, but this dough has certainly changed my mind. The combination of that dry, fruity white wine flavor mixed with the mild sweetness of honey is delicious. Life-changing, really. Heck, it even upstages the pizza toppings, I’d say (though gooey, bubbly, melted cheese is darn hard to beat, in my opinion). This bread is quite the diva.

White Wine & Honey Pizza Dough Recipe
courtesy of smitten kitchen

yields: 1 thin crust loaf (serves about 2 people)

ingredients:
6 tbsp warm water (might need 1-2 more, depending on how dry the dough feels)
2 tbsp cheaper white wine (not too cheap, though, or it’s pointless)
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups flour

directions:
In a large bowl, combine white wine, water and yeast and whisk until yeast dissolves.

Add honey, salt, olive oil and stir to combine.

Add in flour and work with fingers or a spoon until the dough comes together.

Pour dough onto a lightly floured countertop and knead about 2 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add the extra tbsp or two of water if the dough seems really, really dry (but try to avoid it).

Pour kneaded dough into a lightly greased medium bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Pour risen dough on a pizza stone or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread out with fingers into desired shape.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it’s as thin as you like.

Top the dough with 1/2 cup tomato sauce, some oregano, basil and mozzarella cheese (or whatever toppings you desire) and bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve immediately.