Fresh Pizza Dough

Fresh pizza dough is a lot easier than you think. You can either bake it on a pizza stone, my preferred method, or use a sheet pan. A good tip that you should try is when rolling out the pizza dough, use corn meal instead of flour. I promise you won’t be sorry. Corn meal gives the dough body and it also gives a little sweetness that can’t be beat.

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Fresh Pizza Dough
Author: 
Recipe type: Breads/Baking
Cuisine: Italian
 
This recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence but adapted by yours truly.
Ingredients
  • 1 package, or 2¼ tsp, active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup warm water (100-110º F)
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (try using corn meal instead for dusting and rolling)
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water and stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. If you're using a stand mixer, combine the salt and flour to the bowl and pulse a few times to mix. Add the yeast mixture, at the lowest speed, until the flour incorporates. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough gathers into a ball. This should take about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil, honey, and pulse a few more times. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Get a feel for the dough as you're making it by squeezing a small amount together between your thumb and fingers. If it's crumbly, add more water, if it's sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times, kneading until it's smooth and elastic.
  3. If you're making the dough by hand, add the yeast mixture to a large bowl, stir in the salt, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and honey. Then begin stirring in the flour. When the mixture becomes too stiff to stir with a spoon, knead in the rest of the flour by hand, adding just enough so that the dough is soft but not too sticky. As you work, squeeze a small amount of dough together between your thumb and fingers. If it's crumbly, add more water; if it's sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  4. Form the dough into a round and put it into a lightly oiled bowl, turning it over to coat the dough entirely with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot (i.e., over a gas pilot light) until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.