Perfect Pizza Dough
By Recipe developed for Sur La Table’s Cooking Classes
Perfect Pizza Dough
By Recipe developed for Sur La Table’s Cooking Classes
Yield/Serves:
Makes 1 pound, enough for 2 (12-inch) pizzas or 4 (8-inch) pizzas
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) warm water (110° to 115°F)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast or 1¾ teaspoons instant (fresh) yeast
- 3¼ cups (16¼ ounces) bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup (8 ounces) water
- 3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces) extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
Pizza is a hands-down favorite, anytime, anywhere. And while you get good pizza when eating out, truly great pizza is much easier to find at home, mostly because you can top it exactly the way you want. This dough is a good starting point for your creations and can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours or frozen up to a month. If you like a lot of toppings, roll the crust a bit thicker so it can support their weight and moisture. If you like a thin crust, keep your toppings spare and packed with flavor.
Place the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle with the yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir to dissolve, if necessary.
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt and mix briefly to combine. Turn the mixer on low speed, add the yeast mixture and mix to combine. Add the water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball, place it on a floured surface and cover with an inverted bowl, plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise at room temperature for about 1½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.
About 30 minutes before baking the pizza, place a pizza stone on the lowest rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
When the dough is ready, use a large knife or a bench scraper to divide it into 4 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, press out any bubbles that might have formed in the dough and form each piece into a small smooth ball. Place about 4 inches apart on a lightly floured surface and, when your grill is preheated and ready to go, roll out the dough and add toppings on the grill.
Place the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle with the yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir to dissolve, if necessary.
In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt and mix briefly to combine. Turn the mixer on low speed, add the yeast mixture and mix to combine. Add the water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball, place it on a floured surface and cover with an inverted bowl, plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise at room temperature for about 1½ hours, or until doubled in bulk.
About 30 minutes before baking the pizza, place a pizza stone on the lowest rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
When the dough is ready, use a large knife or a bench scraper to divide it into 4 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, press out any bubbles that might have formed in the dough and form each piece into a small smooth ball. Place about 4 inches apart on a lightly floured surface and, when your grill is preheated and ready to go, roll out the dough and add toppings on the grill.