When Life Gives You Extra Pizza Crust... Braid Some Bread

Since my husband and I are both retired now, we try to resist the temptation to eat out too frequently. It's easy to use eating out as a source of entertainment.  It's an outing which can result in over-eating high calorie and high fat foods and it can also be expensive.  Nearly every week, I make home made pizza.  Making pizza on a piping hot pizza stone in a 500 degree oven really is the key.  I make the pizza crust dough in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.  I've determined that the pizza dough recipe I make is a little too large for one pizza, but a little too small to make two pizzas.  As a result, I've been throwing out some of the dough.  So wasteful!  Finally I've found a use for that little leftover bit of dough.

I have slightly altered a recipe from the Pioneer Woman; I have been adding some dried herbs to the dough with some delicious results. 

PIZZA CRUST ADAPTED FROM "THE PIONEER WOMAN"

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Option: Add in about a 1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano, dried basil, and crushed red pepper flakes, and about 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. 
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar. 

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:

Add about 1/2 teaspoon sugar to 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.  Stir to combine. Sprinkle yeast over surface of water; set aside. 

In a mixer, combine flour, salt, and dried herbs. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. I make the dough in the morning and let it sit out on the countertop for several hours. 

I am using about 3/4 of the dough for a very large pizza. Divide the remainder if the dough into three equal pieces, work the three pieces into three long worm shapes, and braid them together. I put the braid on a cookie sheet and cover with a tea towel and let it rest/rise for about 1/2 an hour.  Bake the braid in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 23 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. 

This bread is great with a glass of red wine. 

Enjoy!