Bread Machine Pizza Dough with Beer

By GratefulSea

Source: Zojirushi Recipe Book (Photo is my own.)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of flat beer
• 2 Tablespoons butter, margarine
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cup (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 package dry yeast

Preparation

Step 1

Flatten the beer by letting it stand for 4-6 hours, or by pouring it back and forth between containers until all the bubbles are gone.

Put all ingredients into the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer (the order given here is for the Zojirushi machine). Select the "Dough" cycle.

When the cycle is completed (about 90 minutes for the Zojirushi), preheat the oven to 400 degrees, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and choose a shaping method (below):

• for thick-crust pizza: with lightly floured hands, press the dough into a greased 12-inch pizza pan, forming a high edge. Brush the crust with oil, cover the dough with a clean towel, and let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon tomato or pizza sauce over the dough, top with desired toppings, and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden.

• for thin-crust pizza: with lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a ball, then divide it in half. Press each half into a greased 12-inch pizza pan, forming a 1-inch edge. Brush the crust with oil, cover with a clean towel, and let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon tomato or pizza sauce over the dough, top with desired toppings, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden.

VARIATIONS

For CRUSTY ROLLS: on a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball; divide into quarters; cut each quarter into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a flattened oval. Place the rolls 3-inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Slash tops of rolls with a sharp knife. Brush lightly with oil if desired, then cover with a clean cloth and let rest for 15 minutes. Bake 20-24 minutes.

For SOFT PRETZELS: On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball; divide into quarters. Cut each quarter into 3 pieces. Roll each piece between palms of hands to make 10-inch ropes. Bring the ends of a rope together to make a circle; twist the bottom 3 inches of each end together; fold back across opposite side of circle. Tuck dough ends under circle. Brush the pretzels with an egg glaze (1 beaten egg with 1 Tablespoon of water), and sprinkle with coarse salt. For softer pretzels, let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Bake 18 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 pretzels.