When looking to enjoy a meal or snack, there are many different options open to a cook when seeking to create the perfect pizza dough capable of fulfilling the needs of any picky eater. There are a number of Online resources available providing information about the many varieties of pizza dough recipe that can be used to create the perfect base for any meal.

The Earliest Pizza Dough

As the majority of people know, pizza is perhaps the most famous dish from the country of Italy and has been taken around the world by people from the nation over the course of the last few centuries. Pizza dough is often seen as an extension of the use of the focaccia flat bread baked throughout Italy from the Roman times onward; focaccia is seasoned with a number of ingredients including herbs, olive oil, and salt to create a bread similar in style to many modern varieties of pizza dough.

The term "pizza" was only used for the first time in 16th century Naples when it was used to refer to a crusty style of cake baked until crisp. This early form of pizza was known as a meal enjoyed by the poor of Naples who would only see the addition of oil and tomatoes after the Americas had been settled by European by the middle of the 19th century.

Recipes for Pizza Dough

Throughout the history of Italian cuisine since the 19th century, the pizza has been the subject of much innovation and evolution with many chefs from around the world adding their own twist to a pizza dough recipe. The use of different ingredients makes it easy for major changes to be made to the list of ingredients used for toppings, but for many chefs, the chance to innovate when it comes to the base of a pizza is one not to be missed

Thin Crust Pizza Varieties

• Neapolitan The original and best loved authentic Italian style thin crust is created in a wood fired, domed brick oven. The crispy texture of a Neapolitan crust is seen as almost impossible to replicate using modern machinery.
• New York Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, a New York pizza dough gets its signature flavor and texture from the high mineral content of the water in the Northeast of the U.S.
• St. Louis A St. Louis crust is less well known than many of its close cousins as it produces a cracker style base often sliced into squares.

Thick Crust Pizza Dough

• Traditional The best-known style of pizza, a traditional crust is well known by almost everybody who has sampled pizza from any of the popular franchises in the U.S. This style is seen as the best option for creating specialty varieties.
• Deep Dish The cornmeal based pizza dough is also known as Chicago style and can rise as much as two inches when baked in oil.
• Sicilian Beloved in the Northeast of the U.S., the Sicilian dough is known for creating a crust over one inch in thickness.

Top 5 Routes for "Pizza Dough"

1. Epicurious.com A range of recipes is available through this Website that includes tips and advice on hand kneading pizza dough.
2. Crazyforcrust.com A site providing details about the many different options for creating the different styles of pizza from meals through to dessert pizza options.
3. Seriouseats.com Serious Eats provides details about creating a perfect pizza dough in a range of styles, including the ever popular New York crust.
4. Sallysbakingaddiction.com Step by step instructions are available with photos to make creating any pizza dough as easy as possible.
5. Foodnetwork.com A range of pizza dough recipes are available from a site providing recipes from some of the world's top celebrity chefs.