Recipe: Delicious Breads - Easy Pizza Dough

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I've taken in an exchange student through the end of the school year 2020.  She is scheduled to be with us through mid June.

The below is one of many new discoveries I will post during her stay in my home.  This one, of course, is thanks to the stay home orders and having nothing but time to bake.  Thankfully - or I think thankfully, I am not quite sure - my husband found an online wholesaler of yeast.  So while we were without for about a week once the food shortages started here, we eventually became proud owners of a 2 lb brick of yeast.  Um ... hooray, I think?!

And credit to my student, as she's the one who proposed the recipe to try.

Enjoy!


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Easy Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees F - this is important, so check the temp!)
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

After checking for proper temperature, pour water into mixer bowl and sprinkle in yeast.  Allow yeast to proof for 5 minutes or until dissolved (as long as the yeast seems active, it is OK to mix the yeast until dissolved after the 5 minutes are up).

Add salt, sugar and olive oil to yeast mixture and gently whisk.

Starting with the mixer's paddle attachment, add flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix at level 2 until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl if needed.  When the dough starts to form, switch to the hook attachment and continue adding flour until full amount is mixed in.

Knead dough on level 2 for 7-10 minutes, or by hand.  The dough should be  a little sticky or tacky to the touch when done.  If too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour.

Remove dough from mixer bowl and spread a thin later of olive oil over the inside.  Place dough back into bowl and turn to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 2+ hours (or place in your oven on the "dough rise" setting for 1-2 hours).  Dough should double or triple in size.

Remove dough from oven if you are proofing there, and begin preheat to 450-475 degrees for pizza cooking.

Sprinkle a work surface with flour, turning the dough to coat.  Divide dough into 2-4 pizzas, depending on volume of rise and your desired finished pizza size.  You can let the divided portions rise for another 15 minutes if you like, or proceed immediately to the next step.

One portion at a time, hand stretch or push the dough into a round shape with a rolling pin.  Sprinkle all surfaces with flour as needed to avoid sticking.  The dough will stretch and contract several times before it holds shape - take time to allow this process to happen.

When desired size/shape has been achieved, transfer dough to pizza pan and top with sauces and toppings.  Bake fully dressed pizza in a preheated oven at 450-475 degrees until edges and toppings have slightly browned, 15-20 minutes depending on size of pizza and volume of toppings.