Pizza made from Khrushchev dough
Description
The recipe won’t take much time. Pizza made with this recipe comes out golden brown, with a crisp crust, while inside it’s tender, porous, and airy. Truly successful baking! The dough recipe itself is quite simple; it has a neutral flavor and works not only for homemade pizza but for any kind of savory baking: pies, hand pies, flatbreads, buns, crescent rolls, and so on. This dough became widely known thanks to Anna Grigorievna Dyshkant, Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev’s personal chef, who said in an interview that Khrushchev loved pies and hand pies made from this dough very much. Its main standout feature is a long shelf life—in theory the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, and you can even put it in the freezer if you don’t plan to bake anytime soon. The dough doesn’t lose its qualities, and baked goods from it turn out simply amazingly delicious—be sure to try it. It can be served with tea or coffee.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all ingredients. Cut the butter into cubes and soften it in advance at room temperature.
- 2
Step 2
Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, softened butter, and salt. Rub everything together with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- 3
Step 3
Add the milk. You can use milk straight from the refrigerator; there is no need to warm it.
- 4
Step 4
Mix everything with a spoon, then transfer the dough to the table and continue kneading by hand. If necessary, you can add another 2–3 tbsp of flour.
- 5
Step 5
The finished dough should be elastic and fairly dense; it will stick slightly to your hands. Gather it into a ball, transfer it to a saucepan or deep bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- 6
Step 6
Knead the rested dough once more by hand, then divide it into 2–4 portions, depending on the desired pizza size and thickness. Roll out one portion of the dough and transfer it to an ovenproof dish (there is no need to grease it with oil). Shape the rim with your hands and prick the bottom with a fork. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator or freezer if you are not going to bake more right away.
- 7
Step 7
Spread the dough with tomato sauce.
- 8
Step 8
On top, add any filling you like. I used sausage and tomatoes.
- 9
Step 9
Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 10–15 minutes.
- 10
Step 10
The pizza made with Khrushchev-era dough is ready. Slice it into portions and serve it at the table.