Knead Dough?

Pizza dough? I make pizza at least once a week. It's fun and I find it useful to get rid of those pesky leftovers. First things first, YOU NEED TO MAKE THE DOUGH! I've tried tons of recipes from Lynn Rossetto Kasper to Mario Batali, but I always find myself going back to my old standby, my basic pizza dough. It's easy and delicious. I used to swear by my pizza stone, but I've abandoned it and adopted Lynn Rossetto Kasper's method of using baking sheets.  It's easier to handle and really does make a better crust. Give this dough a try and I promise you'll do it again!

My Basic Pizza Dough:

Makes 2 large pizzas, (or in my house, 1 large for me and my husband, and two small personal pizzas for my kids)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup hot water, about 100 degrees (my hot tap water is hot enough)

2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast 

1 tablespoon honey

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (or "00" flour, if you're lucky enough to find it)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for oiling

Directions:

First mix the water, yeast, and honey in a small bowl or measuring cup. It should get foamy on top. If it doesn't, throw it out and buy new yeast. 

In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, (this can be done by hand if you don't have one), dump in the flour and salt. Pour in the yeast/honey/water mixture and olive oil and mix until it pulls away from the bowl. Depending on the humidity, you may need to add a little water if it looks dry. You want the dough moist and slightly sticky.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5 minutes. (It's good for your arms.)  Place the dough in a large, lightly olive oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area for 45 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size.  (If you're not ready to make the pizzas, the dough can be held here for hours.)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and set the rack as low as possible in the oven.  Punch down the dough and divide in half.  Knead each half a minute and shape into balls.  Cover with a kitchen towel.  Let rest for about 20 minutes.

Next, oil two baking sheets. Using a rolling pin, roll out each pizza dough. (You can make it thin or thick, however you like it.)  Place each pizza on a baking sheet and top as desired.

Finally, bake each pizza for about 8-10 minutes. Now using an oven mitt and spatula, slide the pizza off the baking sheet and directly on the oven rack. Bake for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pizza by sliding the baking sheet under it and then slide the pizza onto a cutting board. You're done!  Time to eat!!!

Keep checking my blog, I'm going to share my favorite pizza recipes!