Pizza Dough - Basic

By pattie_d

Enough dough for 2-13x18 inch pies
Use 13x18 inch rimmed baking sheets

You can make the full recipe and refrigerate half the dough in a lightly oiled freezer bag for up to 1 day, or freeze it for up to 1 month, well wrapped. Thaw the still wrapped frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before shaping the pie.

Ingredients

• 3-3/4 cups (500 grams) bread flour
• 2-1/2 tablespoons (10 grams) instant or other active dry yeast
• 3/4 teaspoons (5 grams) table salt of fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoons plus a pinch (5 grams) sugar
• 1-1/3 cups (300 grams) room-temperature (about 72 degrees F) water
• extra virgin olive oil for the pans

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until blended, at least 30 seconds. The dough is a bit stiffer than most of the others in this book, not as wt and sticky. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2-hours.

Oil tow 13 x 18 inch rimmed baking sheets. Use a bowl scraper or a rubber spatula to scrape half of the dough onto an oiled pan in one piece. Gently pull and stretch the dough across the surface of the pan, and use your hands to press it evenly out to the edges. If the dough sticks to your fingers, lightly dust it with flour or coat your hands with oil. Pinch any holes together,. Repeat with the second piece. Top dough with whatever ingredients you like.