Homemade Pizza Dough

The whole family agreed this was a tasty pizza dough recipe, and it’s easy too!

ingredients

2-1/2 cups (300 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2-1/4 tsp instant yeast (you can also use rapid-rise or quick-rise)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
7 oz warm water (110˚F – 115˚F)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp cornmeal, for the pizza peel (divided)

instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough just begins to come together. It will seem shaggy and dry, don’t worry.
2. Scrape the dough onto a well-floured counter top and knead the dough for three minutes. It should come together quickly. Dust the dough with flour as needed (sometimes I will have to do this 2 to 3 times, depending on humidity levels) — it should be slightly tacky, but should not be sticking to your counter top.  After three minutes, the dough should be smooth, elastic, and tacky. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil, and place the dough into the bowl.
3. Cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, dry area of your kitchen for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. If your kitchen is very cold, one great tip that I do all the time is to heat a large heatproof measuring cup of water in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. This creates a nice warm environment and I’ll immediately remove the cup and place the bowl with the dough in the microwave until it has risen.
4. Place the pizza stone on the center (or bottom third) rack of your oven, and preheat the oven and pizza stone to 550˚F (for at least 30-45 minutes). If your oven does not go up to 550 degrees, heat it to the absolute maximum temperature that it can go. If it can heat to higher than 550˚F, even better!
5. As the oven is preheating, assemble your topping ingredients. 
6. Separate the dough into two equal-sized portions. It will deflate slightly, but that is ok. Place the dough on a large plate or floured counter top, cover gently with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle the pizza peel with a tablespoon of cornmeal. Gently stretch one ball of pizza dough into roughly a 11- to 12-inch circle (don’t worry if its not perfectly uniform). If the dough springs back or is too elastic, allow it to rest for an additional five minutes. The edges of the dough can be slightly thicker, but make sure the center of the dough is thin (you should be able to see some light through it if you held it up). Gently transfer the dough onto the cornmeal-dusted pizza peel.
8. Add your choice of sauce and toppings.
9. Occasionally stretch the sides of the dough out a bit to make it even thinner. Gently slide the pizza from the peel onto the heated baking stone. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has caramelized slightly and the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Remove the pizza carefully from the oven with the pizza peel, transfer to a wooden cutting board or foil. Slice and serve immediately.

yields

2, 12-inch pizzas

source

A Beautiful Plate