Pizza Dough

Guess what? I made pizza from scratch and it turned out simply superb.  I even made it the 2nd time and it was better.  The dough is pretty straight forward and does require a little rising time but I am sure we can spare at least 1 hour of ahead time for dough preparation.  I made Hawaiian Pizza and the ever so popular Pepperoni Pizza.

Source:  Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients


1 packet ( 21/4 tsp) yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water
3 1/2 cup flour plus more if needed
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tb olive oil
1 Tb sugar
1 tsp Italian seasoning, optional
cornmeal, dusting the pan

Method

Combine yeast, water and 1 tsp of sugar. Mix and leave in a warm place until yeast is foamy and dissolved.


In another bowl combine the flour, salt, olive oil, seasoning and balance of the sugar.  Pour in the yeast mixture and knead dough adding in more flour as needed.  Dough needs to be soft and elastic when poked in with finger it should slowly bounce back up.  Cover tightly with clingwrap or kitchen towel ( I usually have one towel just for making bread).  Let rise in warm place, I usually place my bowl inside the oven for about 1 hour or until double in size.

Once it has rise up, punch the dough down and let it sit for another 15 minutes.  At this point you can freeze the dough by place it in a oiled ziplock and sealed tightly for about 3 months.  **

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Oil the pizza pan and spread with cornmeal.  Take the rested dough and spread out.  Pinch the sides slightly to create a rim.  Spread the pizza sauce ( I bought a store bought one).  Fill in the delicious toppings.  Bake in a screaming hot oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Take it out and slice it immediately and serve.

Leftover pizza can be stored tightly in the refrigerator and reheated when needed.

** Its important to know that this recipe is enough to make two 12 inch pizzas.

Put your frozen pizza dough balls(s) in the fridge overnight or for about 12 hours to thaw.  When ready to make the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and set out on the counter to rest for 30 minutes and come to room remperature.