Oat Bran Pizza Crust
1-1/4 cups wheat blend or regular bread flour
1/2 cup oat bran
3 tablespoons instant buttermilk powder or non-fat dry milk powder
1-1/2 teaspoons rapid rising yeast (or instant)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
If you have a bread machine:
1. Place all the dough ingredients in the pan of a bread machine. Set the machine to “rise,” “dough,” “manual,” or equivalent setting so that the machine will mix and knead the dough and let it rise once. Check the mixture 5 minutes after the machine has started. It should form a soft, satiny dough. If the dough seems too sticky, add a little more flour, a tablespoonful at a time. Be careful not to add too much flour or the crust will be hard to roll out.
2. When the dough is ready, remove it from the machine and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the crust into a 14-inch circle, then transfer it to a 14-inch pizza pan. Set the crust aside for 10 minutes (to allow it to rise slightly) before adding the toppings.
To make the crust without a bread machine:
1. Combine 3/4 cup of the flour and all the oat bran, milk powder, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix well. Pour the water in a small saucepan and heat until very warm (125 to 130F). Add the water to the flour mixture and stir for 1 minute. Stir in enough of the remaining flour, 2 tablespoonfuls at a time, to form a soft dough.
2. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the remaining flour over a flat surface and turn the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, gradually adding enough flour to form a smooth, satiny dough. (Be careful not to make the dough too stiff or it will be hard to roll out.)
3. Coat a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray and place the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 35 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. When the dough has risen, punch it down, shape it into a ball, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and roll in to a 14-inch circle.