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Ingredients
- (makes 6 mini pizzas or 2 full size) – cut this in half for small family!
- 2 pkgs (or 4 tsp) dry active yeast (or fast acting if you have starving little ones)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 1/2 cups (17.5 oz) flour (you can sub up to half whole wheat flour – I do 1/2 white & 1/2 100 % white wheat), plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing crust
- Cornmeal, for dusting surface
Preparation
Step 1
Place water and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and sprinkle the yeast over top.
Let stand for 10 minutes – if your yeast doesn’t swell or get frothy, buy new yeast.
Add the olive oil, salt, and flour.
With the mixer on low, mix until the dough comes together and mostly off the sides of the bowl (it will not come all the way off of the bottom). You can add flour by the tablespoon if necessary.
Let the mixer run for 5 minutes to knead the dough. It should be smooth and slightly sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half and shape into a ball (each will weigh ~1 lb). This is enough to make 2 larg pizzas. We like to make individual pizzas, so I divide each half into 5-6 pieces and shape into balls.
Lightly dust a plate with flour and place the balls of dough on top, seam-down.
Sprinkle the top with flour, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour
Place your pizza stone in the top 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 450, letting it hold at temperature for 30 minutes.
Prepare your toppings: grate cheese, chop veggies, uncork the wine, etc.
Very lightly flour your pizza stone (or a rimless baking sheet, or turn a rimmed baking sheet upside down and use the bottom)
Gently stretch the dough into a round
Place the dough onto the prepared peel or pan.
Brush the outside ~1-inch perimeter with olive oil and then top as desired.
Gently shake the pizza from the peel/pan to the baking stone and bake for 5-7 minutes. (During this time, I’m making the next individual pizza.)
Remove the pizza from the oven, leaving the stone in place. Slice and serve. And enjoy. Immensely.