Pizza Dough

Perfect Pizza Dough

Making the perfect pizza dough requires a few simple ingredients.  The trick, however, is creating a dough that is moist, but does not stick to fingers or worse, the peel.  Getting this consistency may require a few attempts, but once achieved, is not likely to be forgotten.

Bucking the gluten-free trend, use Neopolitan 00 flour (found in specialty stores or online)

Measure out 4 cups of this sinfully delicious flour and add to mixer bowl fitted with dough paddle.

Mixing at low speed, add in 2 tablespoons of salt. 

Add in 2 tablespoons (yes, 2 tablespoons!) of instant yeast. I use the french SAF Red instant yeast (again found in specialty stores).  If it is a humid day, use a touch more yeast. 

Add in 2 tablespoons of quality olive oil. 

Slowly add in 2 cups of room temperature water. 

Dough should be forming a ball.  If not add more water. 

Turn speed up and kneed for another minute. 

This is looking great!

Before taking dough out of mixer, put a few tablespoons of flour onto work surface

Coat dough with flour from the work surface and cut in half. 

Continue to coat each half with flour.

Place each dough into a container dusted with flour and allow it to rise. Lightly cover with cloth or container lid. 

While the dough is rising, it may be a good time to go for a swim or better yet, shop!! Summer sales, here we come! Gorgeous beach cover-ups from Crewcuts and Roberta Freymann (above) bring a festive look to any daytime event!  Splurge on the hats!  You can never be too cautious when protecting your little ones from the sun.

OK, yes, back to the recipe:

Let the dough rise at room temperature for a few hours (this dough rose for 4 hours)

Roll out the dough onto a surface dusted with flour. 

Nice work!

Coat with your homemade tomato sauce.

Add toppings.

Perfect, artisanal pie! Cut into pieces as soon it comes out of the oven and...

Mangia!