California Pizza Kitchen Thin Crust Recipe

To develop the characteristic crispness pizza lovers enjoy you need to use high-protein flour for this crust or anything that contains 12 to 14 percent gluten (the higher the percentage the better).

Ingredients

- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water, about 100°F
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 6 1⁄2 cups high-protein flour
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

Directions

1. In a large mixer bowl, combine water, yeast, oil, and sugar. Using a mixer with a dough hook, stir on low speed until the yeast dissolves and the mixture is well combined. Slowly add flour and salt. Continue stirring until a stiff ball of dough forms.

2. Place dough in a large (2-gallon) resealable plastic bag or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

3. Turn pizza onto a well-floured surface. Divide into four sections. (Return any sections that aren’t being used to the refrigerator.) Roll sections into very thin circles, dusting liberally with flour as you go. Prick pizza crust several times with a fork and top according to recipe directions.

Making Your Crust Super

Thin To get your pizza super-thin, use the above recipe and a pasta roller. Run strips of dough through the rollers and line them up, overlapping slightly on a well-oiled pizza pan. Smooth out the seams, prick the crust with a fork, and then use as directed in your recipe.