Basic Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm water, not hot
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour for dusting the counter
- 1 teaspoon sugar for crispier crust
Instructions
- Combine yeast, warm water, salt, and oil in a bowl and stir with a fork. Slowly add flour a little at a time and continue to mix until it starts to form a ball. Don't add all the flour at once. Knead directly in the bowl and keep adding flour if dough is too sticky. Some flour may be left over. We are aiming for a somewhat moist dough at this point. When the dough is smooth, but not hard and dry, lightly pat the dough on top with a little more olive oil then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours.
- When dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl onto a floured surface. Use half of the dough and flatten with fingers into a somewhat round shape. Dough can be made with a thick or thin crust. If flattened dough is left to rest before baking, it will start rising again which will result in a nice puffier crust.
- Top with any choice of toppings.
- For the pizza in the picture I used salsa and mozzarella cheese and topped with chili pepper flakes.
- Place pizza on a parchment lined cookie sheet, or preheat a pizza stone in the oven. I highly recommend the pizza stone. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven to lightly brown bottom.
- Bake at 450°F for about 10 – 12 minutes.