Samuel Adams Boston Lager Infused Pizza Crust

Warm the beer to 120ºF-130ºF (warming the beer properly means your yeast will activate properly). Warm the bottle in a bowl of very warm (not boiling water) or by running it under hot water from the tap. A thermometer insures success – if you don’t have one handy, the beer should feel very warm (not too hot) to the touch.

In a 5 quart or larger bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt and oil.

Add beer to flour mixture, and stir with a fork (not stirring with your hands just yet – it’s too sticky at first) until the dough is lumpy. Then, go in with your hands. The dough will now still be a little sticky, so gradually add flour as you knead* to the point that the finished dough should be just slightly tacky and elastic. To tell when the dough is done, periodically poke it and when the dough gently springs back after you poke it, it is done. Don’t worry if it is not perfectly smooth – don’t over-knead it! *kneading: press down, push, fold, repeat.

Your finished dough, if you have a scale, will weigh right around 2 pounds (30-34 oz.). Break into two equal pieces – use a scale or eyeball it.

Ball each piece up and place each in a separate airtight container lightly greased with olive oil. Each container needs to be at least a quart in size to allow for each dough ball to double in size (deli quart containers work great for this).

Set dough aside to rise in a warm location, about 70ºF-80F is good. After dough has expanded/up to doubled in size (about 1-2 hours), gently remove from container and stretch to fit on a lightly greased 12” or 14” cookie sheet, pizza pan or pizza screen.

Top with your favorite toppings and bake in a 500ºF preheated oven until your crust and toppings are to your desired doneness (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Remove from the oven, allow a few minutes to cool. Then cut, serve and enjoy.

Notes: For a thicker crust, stretch to 12” and cook on cookie sheet, pizza pan or pizza screen. For a thinner crust, stretch to 14” and cook on cookie sheet, pizza pan or pizza screen.