Eating pizza is a quintessential part of any visit to Italy, so it’s only natural that food writer Maria Pasquale of HeartRome included a variety of pizza recipes in her cookbook inspired by the country’s capital. “Making good pizza at home starts with this recipe for a basic pizza dough,” Pasquale writes in The Eternal City: Recipes and Stories from Rome. “With easy-to-use dried yeast and a rising time of only 2 hours, it makes four round pizza bases.” From there, the sky’s the limit.
![Balls of pizza dough, a bowl of sauce and flour, with one pizza partway through preparation](https://ellegourmet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/basic-pizza-dough-480x480.jpg)
Basic Pizza Dough
Maria Pasquale's recipe for a basic white pizza dough with dried yeast and a 2-hour rising time.
Ingredients
- 3⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 400 ml tepid water
- extra virgin olive oil for greasing
Instructions
- To make the dough, sift the flour into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the yeast, salt and sugar. Pour in the water and, if you are using a mixer, start to mix using the dough hook. If working by hand, start mixing with a fork, then use your hands to start bringing the ingredients together. If the dough is too wet, add a little extra flour.
- When the dough is well mixed, turn it out onto a clean, floured surface and knead gently to form a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap to stop the dough sticking when it rises.
- The dough should take about 2 hours to rise. If the weather is warm it will rise easily; if it is cold, leave it in a warm spot near the oven or over a heater.
- Once risen, turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and knead gently. Divide the dough into four portions. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest while you prepare the toppings.
- Each piece of dough can be rolled or hand stretched, depending on your preferred base. Rolling will create a thinner crust, while pulling the dough into shape by hand will maintain the air pockets and create a thicker crust.
Notes
Once prepared, this dough benefits from resting overnight, but it can be used after 2 hours.
More classic Italian recipes from Maria Pasquale
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Supplì (Roman Rice Balls)
Maria Pasquale's recipe for a classic Roman snack: fried rice balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese.
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