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1
Dissolve the yeast and the skim milk powder in the water.
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2
Add the sugar or honey and stir well to dissolve.
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3
Let this sit for about 10 minutes.
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4
Add the apple juice and combine well.
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5
Put all of the flour in a large mixing bowl.
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6
Add the salt and combine.
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7
Add the liquid mixture to the flour along with enough additional water to make a soft but not sticky dough.
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8
Knead the dough for 4 minutes if using a stand mixer; 8 minutes if kneading by hand.
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9
Divide the dough into balls of about 4 ounces each, put them on a floured sheet pan, cover the pan and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in bulk (or let rise, covered well, in the refrigerator overnight).
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10
Thickness: To make a dessert pizza shell, the dough should be rolled thicker than that for a thin-crust pizza because it will be holding more weight.
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11
Go with a dough shell that is at least 18 inch thick.
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12
Forming: Pull up the sides to form a crust cuff or a well to hold the dessert toppings.
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13
The pizza shell should like like a pie or tart shell.
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14
Size: A four- or five-inch diameter pizza seems to be the best size, because it can be served as an individual dessert or as one for two people to share.
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15
Bake it completely.
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16
This baked crust will then be ready to take various toppings.
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17
In a few situations you might want to only par -bake the crust -- when doing a baked apple pizza, for example.
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18
Toppings: Cheeses: For the sake of simplicity and good taste, cheeses can be narrowed down to three: ricotta, mascarpone and cream cheese.
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19
Fruits: Just about any fruit will work.
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20
Using fresh fruit will control the moisture.
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21
Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pine nuts are favorites.
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22
Miscellaneous: Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves work well.
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23
Crushed or ground amaretto cookies make a great topping over cheese and fruit.
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24
Chocolate chips, raisins and zest of oranges, lemons or limes can be used most effectively to pump up the flavor.
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25
A dusting of confectioners' sugar looks good and goes a long way in the taste department.
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26
Brushing or layering fruit preserves or a fruit glaze on the crust before toppings go on adds a lot of flavor and offers a wide range of taste possibilities.
