Basic Pizza Dough
(from anjulan’s recipe box)
Source: www.annamariavolpi.com/pizza_recipe.html
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves 4 people
Categories: italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, or 1 oz (25 g) brewer’s yeast
- 1 1/2 cups (350 cc) warm water
- 3 1/2 cups (500 g) flour
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt
Directions
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In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the warm water and stir to dissolve it. Set aside until the yeast starts forming bubbles in about 5 minutes.
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Sift the flour. Pour the flour into a large bowl or on a work surface. Mold the flour in a mound shape with a hole in the center.
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Pour the yeast mix in the center, then the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Using a spatula, draw the ingredients together. Then mix with your hands to form a dough.
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Sprinkle some flour on the work surface. Place the dough on the floured surface. Knead the dough briefly with your hands pushing and folding. Knead just long enough for the dough to take in a little more flour, and until it no longer sticks to your hands.
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With your hand, spread a little olive oil inside a bowl. Transfer the dough into the bowl.On the top of the dough, make two incisions that cross, and spread with a very small amount of olive oil. This last step will prevent the surface of the dough from breaking too much while rising.
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Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth, and set the bowl aside for approximately 1½ – 2 hours until the dough doubles in volume. The time required for rising will depend on the strength of the yeast and the temperature of the room.
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When the dough is double its original size, punch it down to eliminate the air bubbles.
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On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into three equal pieces. On the work surface, using a rolling pin and your hands, shape one piece of dough into a thin round layer. Make a pizza about 12 inches in diameter.
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Cook the pizza in a regular oven at 500 F (260 C) for about 20–25 minutes. To check for readiness, lift one side of the pizza. The pizza is ready when the bottom surface is light brown.