Pizza dough recipe from the show Simply Laura.
Add the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast; set aside so the yeast can proof.
Oil two bowls with a little olive oil and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment, mix together the olive oil, salt, 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Stir the yeast in the water to make sure it's all dissolved and add it to the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until everything is combined. Increase the speed to medium and allow the machine to knead the dough, adding more flour if necessary, until it is smooth and comes away from the side of the bowl, 6 to 7 minutes.
Divide the dough in two pieces and roll each into a ball. Place a ball in each of the oiled bowls seam-side down, and brush the tops with a little oil to stop them from drying out. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place in a warm place (inside a microwave or a turned-off oven works best) until it doubles in size and when poked with a finger, the indent remains (it doesn't spring back), about 1 1/2 hours.
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. If you don't have a pizza stone you can use a large baking sheet turned upside down.
Sprinkle some flour onto your counter. Take 1 ball of pizza dough and dredge it in the flour on all sides. (Reserve the remaining ball for another use; store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.) Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch circle and place it on a semolina-dusted pizza peel or an upside down baking sheet.
Top the pizza with sauce and long-cook toppings.
Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone or upside down baking sheet. Bake the pizza until the crust is cooked and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.
Remove and top with short-cook toppings. Pop the pizza back in the oven and bake until the toppings heats up just a little bit, about 2 minutes more.
Ingredients
Directions
Add the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast; set aside so the yeast can proof.
Oil two bowls with a little olive oil and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment, mix together the olive oil, salt, 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Stir the yeast in the water to make sure it's all dissolved and add it to the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until everything is combined. Increase the speed to medium and allow the machine to knead the dough, adding more flour if necessary, until it is smooth and comes away from the side of the bowl, 6 to 7 minutes.
Divide the dough in two pieces and roll each into a ball. Place a ball in each of the oiled bowls seam-side down, and brush the tops with a little oil to stop them from drying out. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place in a warm place (inside a microwave or a turned-off oven works best) until it doubles in size and when poked with a finger, the indent remains (it doesn't spring back), about 1 1/2 hours.
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. If you don't have a pizza stone you can use a large baking sheet turned upside down.
Sprinkle some flour onto your counter. Take 1 ball of pizza dough and dredge it in the flour on all sides. (Reserve the remaining ball for another use; store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.) Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch circle and place it on a semolina-dusted pizza peel or an upside down baking sheet.
Top the pizza with sauce and long-cook toppings.
Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone or upside down baking sheet. Bake the pizza until the crust is cooked and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.
Remove and top with short-cook toppings. Pop the pizza back in the oven and bake until the toppings heats up just a little bit, about 2 minutes more.