Pizza Dough

About this Recipe

I. Love. Pizza.

Eric loves pizza even more. We've had homemade pizza at least once every two weeks for the 7+ years we've been together, which has given me a lot of time to perfect my pizza dough. It changes over time and varies in exact outcome depending on things like the weather - yeast is so temperamental - but it's always delicious!

Method

Combine water, yeast and sugar and let sit until foamy to bloom yeast.

Add flours in mixing bowl and stir to combine, then add salt and olive oil (and red pepper flakes and garlic if using) on one side of the bowl. Add water/yeast mixture slowly while mixing (if using stand mixer, use speed 2), stir til combined.

Once a shaggy ball forms, either increase speed to 4-6 for 4-5 minutes (if using stand mixer), or turn dough onto floured surface and knead until dough ball is smooth on the outside, 8-10 minutes.

Form pizza dough into ball and place seam side down into greased glass bowl. Coat top of dough with oil (I use a spray), and cover to rise.

Dough has finished rising when it has doubled in size, and a finger poked ~1 inch into dough leaves it’s indent. The dough will not spring back when it’s proofed.

Optional Second Rise

If you’re hungry you can skip this step and go straight to pizza time, but it makes for a bubblier, chewier crust if you have the patience!

Lightly press the dough down so you push the air out, and then we’re going to do a series of about 8 stretch and folds. For each stretch and fold:

Take the edge of the dough, stretching it up 4-5″. Lightly hold the dough ball down if needed. After stretching the dough up, fold it back into the center of the ball and press in. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this step, continuing until you’ve made your way around the dough twice.

Flip your dough ball over so the folds are on the bottom side and the top is smooth.

Let rise for another 45 minutes or so, again until doubled inside.

Pizza Time!

Place pizza stone if using in oven and preheat to 415°

Using parchment paper on counter, sprinkle cornmeal over the parchment, evenly and roughly covering the finished pizza size – mine is ~18″ across.

Turn dough onto parchment, and lightly press into a circle. Using a greased rolling pin and working from the middle of the dough, roll into a circle. If you work lightly with the rolling pin and always start in the middle, it’s much easier to create a uniform circle.

When ready, dough should measure ~18″ across and 1/3-1/2″ thick.

Cover with sauce (I use jarred fire roasted sauce), pushing farther to the edges than you think should be necessary. If you leave 1/4-1/2″ at the edges that’s usually a suitable crust.

I don’t like a ton of sauce so 6 oz is usually a light coating, but sauce to taste.

I also add jarred banana peppers (dried and chopped) and sliced red onion under the cheese. The add the cheese and top with pepperoni. The cheese should also reach the edges of the sauce.

Using a flat edge cookie sheet or other flat device, slide under the parchment/pizza. Open the oven and pull out the rack that the pizza stone is on, then use the parchment paper to pull the pizza onto the pizza stone.

Bake 18-22 minutes, or until cheese and crust are desired golden color.

Cool slightly before slicing into 8 large pieces.