Pizza Dough

The pizza dough I make is really simple. And you can adjust the flour up or down to make it more or less dense and more or less elastic. With this consistency you can just knead it by hand briefly, but with a lot more flour, you may prefer to use a mixer and a dough hook. You can also play with the olive oil to make it more or less rich.

1 ½ cups flour (I use 1 cup bread flour and ½ cup whole wheat most often. I think it’s the best of both worlds and the dough remains tender but has more flavor).
2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup warm water

Whisk the flour and the salt in a large bowl. Make a well. Pour the yeast into the well. Add the oil and water. Let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is bubbly. Combine and knead into a ball. Cover the bowl in saran wrap or a damp towel and let it rise until it’s doubled in size (about 1 hour). The texture of the pizza improves if you roll the dough out with a rolling pin.  Sprinkle cornmeal on an upside down sheet pan or pizza stone.  Then place the dough on your prepared surface. Now you’re ready for toppings!