The Best Pizza Dough

By west757

To get the ultimate pizza crust, many of the best pizzerias in the country let their dough rise overnight. Sounds like a good idea to me. The dough gets to develop a deeper flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water (110° F)
• 2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Details

Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, combine the yeast, 1/4 cup lukewarm water and 1/4 cup flour in a small bowl. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Add the remaining 1-3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons luke warm water, olive oil and salt. Mix the dough thoroughly. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic and a bit tacky to the touch, 7 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to cover with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75° F) until double in volume, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Alternately, you can let this dough rise in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, bring the dough to room temperature and proceed.