Automatic Bread Bakers are great time savers. Hands on time is 5-10 minutes, then the machine does the work. For pizza, this dough doesn't need to rise; it just needs to mix and rest.

Makes enough for 2 large thin crust pizzas or 6 individual pizzas

1 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 -2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Place all the ingredients in an automatic bread maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and turn the machine to the dough setting. Let the machine run for the entire time (about 1 hour and 40 minutes) if you have set it ahead to be finished when you get home from work, or let it run 20 minutes or so until the dough is well mixed. It isn’t necessary to let it rise until double.

Alternately, you may mix the ingredients to a soft dough in a mixer with a dough hook.

Divide the dough into six pieces if you are making individual pizzas, or two pieces for two 12” pizzas. The dough pieces will be easier to roll out if allowed to sit for 5-10 minutes.

This dough also makes two very crispy baguettes or 12 loaves pita bread:

Baguettes

Prepare the dough as directed, but allow to rise until doubled. Punch the dough down and place on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Divide the dough in half, roll the dough to a rectangle 8 inches by 14 inches. Starting with the long side, roll up tightly and pinch the seam; also pinch the ends so that you have a long baguette shape. Repeat with the other half. Place both baguettes on a parchment-lined baking sheet or into greased baguette pans. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise until double.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°.

When the baguettes have risen, take a razor blade or very sharp knife and make three diagonal slashes down the middle of the loaves. Spray them with water (I keep a spray bottle filled with water in my cupboard for this purpose), which will make the crust very crisp. Place in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Pita Bread

Prepare the dough as directed, but allow to rise until doubled. Punch the dough down and place on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and pinch them into balls. Let rest 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, line the oven with unglazed quarry tiles (available at home improvement stores in the tile department) and heat the oven to 500°.

Roll each round to a circle about ¼ inch thick and 6 inches round. Place the rounds on the heated quarry tiles and bake about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the loaves from the oven and place in a Ziploc bag to soften.


Purchase a Black and Decker Automatic Bread Machine from Amazon
Purchase a Cuisinart Automatic Bread Machine from Amazon