How to Make the Perfect Pizza Dough
Thousands of years ago, pizza was simply a type of flat bread sold to the poor in Italy. Nowadays, pizza is known worldwide as a mouth-watering combination of melted cheeses, fresh tomato sauce, any number of fresh toppings and a delicious golden crust. The crust can be made soft or crispy. It can also be thick, thin or deep dish. But no matter how you like it cooked, the perfect crust always starts with the perfect dough. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2-3 tablespoons cornmeal
- (optional) 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- rolling pin
Instructions
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1
Dissolve the yeast. You will need to dissolve the yeast in the warm water. The water should not be below 100 degrees or above 115 degrees. The yeast should dissolve in about five minutes. You should see it start to bubble up when it is ready.
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2
Combine the ingredients. Using a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast together. Stir the mixture until it forms a ball shape. If it is too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time. If it is too sticky, add a bit of flour. You can use a bit of flour and water to get the ball to be soft and sticky but still hold together. Place the dough ball onto a floured surface for kneading.
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3
Knead the dough. Kneading helps the dough rise when it bakes and will give it a fluffy texture. Use flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. Push the dough gently into the counter with your palm to stretch it out. Pull it back towards you with your fingers and fold it over into quarters. Repeat this process for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and stretchy. Kneading too much will make the dough tough and kneading too little won't allow the dough to rise in the oven.
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4
Let the pizza dough rest. Sprinkle olive oil in a bowl and place the dough ball into the greased bowl. Then cover it with a damp towel. Let it sit out at room temperature or in a warm place until the dough doubles in volume. This should take between one and two hours.
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5
Roll out the dough. Place the dough ball onto your floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to your desired shape and thickness. Sprinkle flour on the dough as you are rolling it. You may also want to dust your hands with a little bit of flour to keep them from sticking to your dough. Allow the edges of your dough to be a bit thicker than the rest of the dough.
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6
Bake the dough. First, sprinkle some cornmeal on your baking sheet. Place the pizza dough on the baking sheet and add your desired pizza toppings. Bake the pizza in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. When the pizza is done, transfer it to a cooling rack for five minutes.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
