Kids can push, pull and twist this basic pizza dough all they want--the more you handle it, the better. Use it for pizza, breadsticks, calzones and even focaccia.
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for coating
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
- Place 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water. Let the yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir it into the water. Let the yeast "proof" for 10 minutes. It should bubble a bit; if it doesn't, the yeast is outdated and inactive.
- Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl, then stir in the remaining water, and add the olive oil, flour and salt. With a wooden spoon, mix the dough until it forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
- Coat the inside of a large glass or ceramic bowl with olive oil. Press the ball of dough into the bottom of the bowl, then flip the dough over so the oiled side is on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 1 1/2 pounds of dough.
What you cook your pizza on affects its color, crispness and baking time. Generally, the darker the baking sheet, the darker and crisper your crust (and the shorter your cooking time). For the crispiest crust and shortest cooking time, use a pizza stone (about $30), which must preheat for 45 minutes.
While it heats, assemble your pizza directly on a wooden "peel," or pizza paddle, sprinkled with cornmeal. Use the peel to transfer the pizza to the heated stone.
Freezing DoughTo freeze pizza dough, punch it down once it has risen, place it in a zip-top bag and freeze it. When you need it, thaw it early in the day, then shape it once it is no longer cold.
To freeze individual crusts, roll the dough and freeze the rounds on baking sheets, then remove and place them in plastic bags. When it is time to assemble the pizzas, simply apply the toppings to the frozen disks.
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