This is one of those recipes I’ve made so many times that I’m confident I could do it with my eyes closed. So versatile and reliable, it’s my go-to for all the pizzas in my arsenal. Making pizza dough might seem daunting at first but I promise you it’s all about touch and feel. The more you make it, the more you know exactly what to look for.
What to Notice
- Pizza dough shouldn’t feel too sticky. If you’re working with your dough and you find it just clinging to your hands, sprinkle in some more flour, just a little at a time until it’s soft but no longer tacky.
- When you get to the stage where it’s time to stretch out your dough onto the pan and you find your dough is resisting you and retracting, put it back on the counter, cover it and give it some more time. It simply hasn’t rested long enough. Well-rested dough will be nice, stretchy and pliable.
Servings: 2 Pizzas
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups water heated to 100-110 degrees
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus one teaspoon for greasing the bowl
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- About 2 tablespoons cornmeal for the pan
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup, combine your water, yeast and sugar. Mix, then cover and set aside for about 5 minutes while the yeast activates.
- After about 5 minutes, the mixture should look nice and foamy on top. Pour this into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on low and add in your bread flour, salt, garlic powder and oregano. Turn the mixer up to medium and add in your olive oil. Let the mixer do the work and knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and finish kneading my hand for just a couple minutes to help it come together fully. Gently poke the top of the dough and see if your fingerprint bounces back slightly. If so, it’s ready to rest; if not, keep kneading for a few more minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl with one teaspoon of olive oil, rolling the dough around the bowl to coat all sides. Cover the bowl and let it rest for about an hour and half, or until it has doubled in size.
- Once it has doubled, gently punch down the center of the dough to help release any air bubbles. Cut the dough in half and form each half into balls. Place each half on a floured counter, cover and let rest again for 30 minutes.
- Spread each half onto a pizza pan sprinkled with cornmeal, top with your preferred toppings and bake at 475 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your crust.
