Pizza Dough Perfection Recipes

THE BEST PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar; add yeast and whisk until dissolved. Let stand until bubbles form on surface. In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and, if desired, dried herbs. Make a well in center; add yeast mixture and oil. Stir until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead, adding more flour to surface as needed until no longer sticky and dough is smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a large greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes; transfer bowl to refrigerator and chill overnight. Allow dough to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before rolling.

PIZZA PIZZA

Steps:

• Place the sugar, salt, olive oil, water, 1 cup of flour, yeast, and remaining cup of flour into the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Start the mixer on low and mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball. Coat the hook attachment with cooking spray. Attach the hook to the mixer and knead for 15 minutes on medium speed.
• Tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disc. Stretch the dough until thin. Hold it up to the light and look to see if the baker's windowpane, or taut membrane, has formed. If the dough tears before it forms, knead the dough for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• Roll the pizza dough into a smooth ball on the countertop. Place into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• Place a pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500ºF. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven.
• Split the pizza dough into 2 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper. Flatten into a disk on the countertop and then fold the dough into a ball.
• Barely wet hands with water and rub them onto the countertop to dampen the surface. Roll the dough on the surface until it tightens. Cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
• Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough. If not baking the remaining pizza immediately, spray the inside of a ziptop bag with cooking spray and place the dough ball into the bag. Refrigerate for up to 6 days.
• Sprinkle the flour onto the peel and place the dough onto the peel. Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza. Stretch the dough into a round disc, rotating after each stretch. Toss the dough in the air, if you dare. Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it will slide onto the pizza stone or tile. Dress and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.
• Brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil. Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the pizza. Sprinkle the herbs onto the pizza and top with the cheese.
• Slide the pizza onto the tile and bake for 7 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Rest for 3 minutes before slicing.

PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
• Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.

PIZZA DOUGH PERFECTION

Steps:

• Put 1/2 cup HOT water in a small glass bowl, add 2 teaspoons of yeast and allow to sit for 10 minutes. (This kills the yeast and will add more of a yeast flavor in the finished product without changing the texture of the dough--thanks duonyte.) Put 1/2 cup WARM water in a large glass bowl, add sugar and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast over the top and stir to combine. Let sit 10 minutes. Add 1 cup bread flour and stir to combine. Allow sponge to sit on the counter overnight.
• Add remaining warm water and olive oil. Measure out remaining flour and add one handful at a time, stirring 5 times after each incorporation.
• After the dough has been mixed, before kneading let the dough rest for about 30 minutes so that the flour and water properly combine.
• Turn dough out onto a clean, dry, very well floured surface and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer completely sticky (about 15 minutes--thanks bakingfool), but still a wetter dough. Allow to rise and ferment slowly in the refrigerator for 4 days, punching down once about 8 hours into the rise. (You can use the dough sooner, but having tested it every day for 4 days, I can tell you the flavor improves each day you allow it to ferment--thanks Dee514.).
• Roll out the dough as follows - keep everything well floured when using a wet dough - take balls of dough (about 1lb for 12" pizza), rotate the sides of the ball downward so that maintain a ball shape but stretch out the top; press down the ball with the tips of your fingers to create a circle; stretch out the dough in a circle by hand; then cover with plastic and let it rest for ten minutes; then finish stretching the dough out to the desired size, ensuring the dough is thicker at the edge to form a nice crust (I get 3 medium-sized pizzas that are not too thick not too thin.).
• Top pizza as desired (leaving a 1/2 inch border so the crust rises properly) and bake pizza in the hottest oven you can find (500*-550*) on a pizza stone that has been well pre-heated (at least 30 min) for 8-15 minutes depending on how well done you like your crust and how much you loaded it up!

QUICK BASIC PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk sugar, oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir until a sticky dough forms. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and brush top with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 1 or 2 times before using.
• Dough can be stored in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic, in refrigerator up to 2 hours. To freeze, wrap dough in plastic and freeze in a resealable freezer bag up to 3 months. If you plan to use it in a recipe that calls for half a batch, divide it before freezing.