Easy Pizza Dough

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.

Basic Pizza Dough

Making good pizza at home starts with this recipe for a basic pizza dough. With easy-to-use dried yeast and a rising time of only 2 hours, it makes four round pizza bases.

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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

Cooking Tip

Once prepared, this dough benefits from resting overnight, but it can be used after 2 hours.

Keyword Pizza Dough

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