Pizza

Aug 5

Pizza Dough

Yield: 4 12-inch Pizzas

Author: Sarah Truesdell

This is a basic, 80% hydration pizza dough. Feel free to play with this recipe. Sub out a little of the bread flour for whole wheat or some other whole grain. Add a little olive oil or honey.

Ingredients:

500 g. (about 3.5 cups using dip & sweep method) bread flour or 00 flour
325 g. (1 1/3 liquid cups) lukewarm water
7 g. (2 ¼ tsp or 1 envelope) instant yeast or active dry yeast
12 g. (2 tsp) salt

Instructions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the flour, yeast, and salt. Add all the water. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
2. If using mixer, set speed to 2 and knead for 5 minutes. Increase speed to 4 (you’ll have to hold on to the mixer so it does not vibrate off the table) and knead for another 5 minutes until dough is stretchy and holds a windowpane at least briefly before tearing.
If hand kneading, once water is fully incorporated, turn dough, including all flour and shaggy bits, out onto an un-floured counter. Knead for 15 minutes until windowpane stage is achieved.
3. Shape into 1 ball and place in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size. 1 ½ - 2 hours depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
4. After dough as doubled, generously dust a baking pan or cookie sheet with flour or rice flour. Turn dough onto clean countertop. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by flattening slightly into a rectangle, then roll the rectangle up starting at a short edge, then fold all the sides and corners down and together at the understand of the ball. Use your palms to bring the seams together (the seams won’t disappear). Set the ball, seam side down, on the dusted pan. Repeat with remaining segments of dough.
Cover tray with greased plastic wrap, loosely but securely so that the dough has room to rise, but outside air is not getting in (air will dry out your dough, making shaping more difficult.) Let rest/rise for another 1 hour, until puffy and nearly doubled in size. Chill for at least 30 minutes. You can hold in fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for several months.
5. 30 minutes before shaping, preheat oven as hot as it will go with a pizza stone inside the oven, set on the middle rack.
6. Cut a large piece of parchment and dust generously with rice flour or corn meal. Remove one dough ball from the tray, making sure to keep remaining balls sealed with plastic. Shape into a 12-13-inch pie by stretching with hands. If the dough is tearing, use a rolling pin, otherwise stretch the dough. If the dough starts springing back and won’t hold a 12-13-inch circle, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing to shape.
7. Top and use a pizza peel or thin, sturdy cutting board or rimless cookie sheet to move pizza from counter to the hot stone in the oven. Let it bake on the parchment. Bakes for about 8-9 minutes in a 550F oven. Ovens are all different. Keep an eye on your pizza. Yours may take less or more time.