MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Evelyn's Black Pepper-Lard Pizza Dough
Categories: Five, Pizza, Breads
Yield: 2 Crusts

1 c Warm tap water; 115øF/46øC
1 pk Active dry yeast
3 1/2 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Coarse ground black pepper
2 tb (heaping) natural lard

"This recipe descends from one of the oldest known kinds
of pizza crust. The Romans, who were very fond of black
pepper, used a similar but richer dough, which included
eggs and honey. Naturally rendered pork lard is essential
to this crust. If you can't get any, use the same amount
of olive oil in the recipe."

Pour the water into a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle in
the yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has
dissolved and the liquid turns light beige in color.

Add 1 cup of the flour, the salt, pepper and lard. Mix
thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add a second cup of flour
to the bowl and mix well. After the second cup of flour
has been mixed in, the dough should start coming away from
the sides of the bowl and should begin to form a soft,
sticky mass.

Measure out the third cup of flour. Sprinkle some over the
work surface and flour your hands generously. Remove all
of the dough from the bowl and begin to work the mass by
kneading the additional flour in a bit at a time.

To knead the dough, use the heel of your hands to push the
dough across the floured work surface in one sweep. Clench
the dough in your fist and twist and fold it over. Use the
dough scraper to help gather the wet dough that sticks to
the work surface into a ball while kneading. Repeat this
action over and over again, adding only as much flour as
it takes to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
Work quickly and don't be delicate. Slap and push the
dough around to develop its gluten and to facilitate its
rolling out. (Kneading pizza dough is a great way to
relieve pent-up aggression!)

When the dough no longer feels sticky, push the heel of
your hand down into it and hold it there for 10 seconds.
This will test its readiness; if your hand comes up clean,
the dough is done. If it sticks, a bit more kneading will
be necessary. Once the dough is no longer sticky, do not
overwork it by adding more flour. Continue kneading only
until the dough is smooth and elastic (it should spring
back when pressed) and no lines of raw white flour show.
The whole process should take 5 to 10 minutes.

Lightly oil a 2 quart bowl with olive oil. Roll the ball
of dough around in the bowl to coat it with a thin film of
oil. Tightly seal the bowl with plastic wrap to trap in
the moisture and heat from the yeast's carbon dioxide
gases. This will help the dough rise faster.

Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough
rise for 30 to 45 minutes.

Once the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down by
pushing your fist into it. All of the gases will quickly
escape, and the dough will collapse. Remove the dough from
the bowl and knead it again for about 1 minute.

The dough is now ready to be patted and rolled into pizza,
or to undergo additional rising.

To raise dough a second time, add a bit more oil to the
bowl and repeat the procedure indicated for the first
rising. Then the dough is ready to be shaped.

Source: The Pizza Book by Evelyn Slomon

Posted by Linda Davis

From: http://www.recipesource.com

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