Pizza Dough

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As requested, here is an easy, quick recipe for pizza dough that does not require sourdough. Use it to make a pizza pie, calzone or the pizza dough rolls with herb butter that we just made. All are delicious and lend to so many variations!

Pizza Dough

Makes 1 dough

PREP 1 hour

COOK 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3-1/3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour dipped and leveled (490 grams)

1 packet instant (rapid-rise) dry yeast (2-1/2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1-1/4 cups warm water (280 grams)

extra-virgin olive oil, for the bowl

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl or in a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the warm water and mix everything with a wooden spoon until starting to combine. This helps avoid the cloud of flour when you turn on the mixer.

2. If you have a mixer, knead the dough for about 8 minutes until the sides of the bowl are clean and the dough is soft and elastic. If you are doing this by hand, dump the dough on a clean surface and knead the dough for 15 minutes, folding the dough over itself until you get that smooth dough. The dough shouldn’t stick to your hands when it’s ready.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl, lightly coated in olive oil. Place the dough seam side down and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm location and proof it for an hour or longer. The longer the better.

4. Towards the end of your proofing, preheat your oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone if you have it.

5. Roll out your dough to desired thickness on a slightly floured surface. You can do this by stretching it with your hands or grab a rolling pin to get a thin crust. Transfer to the baking stone or a cooking sheet.

6. Bake your crust naked for 10 minutes to get a crispy bottom, then top with whatever you desire. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until your toppings are heated though, melted and the crust is golden.

7. If using cheese, allow the pie to sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting it to avoid all the cheese sliding off.