Pizza Dough

The long awaited pizza dough recipe!
After recieving my Kitchenaid mixer for my birthday, I had to rework the recipe a bit.
I've included both a mixer method and hand mixing method in this recipe.

This dough makes enough for two pizzas.

You can freeze the dough for another day.

If you freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, or on the counter for 1 ½ hours.

Dough is easier to roll out at room temperature.

1 ½ cups warm water (105-115°F)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups bread flour

2 teaspoons salt

*½  - 1 cup of all-purpose flour

·   Combine warm water and sugar in mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in olive oil

·   In a medium bowl, mix together the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour and 1 ½ cups bread flour with the salt.

·   Turn mixer, attached with dough hook, on to lowest setting and slowly add flour and salt mixture. Raise speed after most of the flour is combined. Mix until dough forms into a ball *adding the remaining ½ cup – 1 cup of flour if necessary so that dough no longer appears sticky, and is easily handled.

·   Turn dough onto floured surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with flour until no longer sticky.

·   Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place dough in bowl. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let rise in a warm spot until double in size. About 1 hour.

    (Tip: Turn oven on, set to ‘warm,’ for about 5 minutes and then shut it off. On the lower rack place a large bowl filled with the hottest water you can get out of the tap. Place the bowl of covered dough on the upper rack, close oven and allow the dough to rise in this warm moist spot.)

·   Punch down dough and cut in half. Roll out and place on pizza pans/stones lined with baking paper. You can also refrigerate or freeze in floured Ziploc freezer bags.

If Mixing by Hand: Combine water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Set aside until foamy. Stir in oil, flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. (You may find that you will use less flour with this method.) Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Spread onto pizza pans lined with baking paper.

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