Pizza Crust

Yield
3
Cooking Time
1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 C bread flour
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 C water
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. Heat the water to 110F and pour into a mixer bowl. Add the yeast and sugar and mix with a wooden spoon or in your stand mixer on the lowest speed. If you use a stand mixer, be sure to use the dough hook when you add the flour. Next add the oil, salt, and slowly add the flour in 1/2 cup at a time while mixing to get a feel for how much flour is needed in your climate. Mix the dough until it starts to form into a ball. The dough will smooth out as you knead, so keep it a little on the wet side at this stage.
  2. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface (or oil your surface if you prefer a tighter control on the flour quantity) and knead gently for about 5 minutes, until the dough ball is consistently smooth.
  3. Drop a tablespoon of olive oil into a large bowl and rub the oil around so that the whole bowl is oiled. Then add the dough and cover the bowl with a clean towel or a very loose sheet of plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot to let it double in size, which takes about 1 hour.
  4. When it's doubled in size, take your fist and press into the center of the ball to let out the air. Then turn it out onto a clean surface and press into a disk shape. Working from the center, push the dough outward while spreading your fingers, making the disk larger. Pick up the dough and move your hands along the edges, allowing gravity to pull the dough into a 14-inch circle, oval, or rectangle. Let rest for 10 minutes before adding sauce and toppings.