Follow these basic instructions for a thick, crisp, and chewy pizza crust at home. The recipe yields enough pizza dough for two 12-inch pizzas and you can freeze half of the dough for later.
Ingredients:
• 320ml warm water (between 38°C and 43°C)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons Red Star Platinum instant yeast (1 standard packet)*
• 1 Tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour, plus more for hands and surface
• A sprinkle of cornmeal for dusting the pan
Instructions:
Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough by hand with a wooden spoon in the next step.
Add the olive oil, salt, and flour. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for three to four minutes. The dough can be a little too heavy for a mixer to knead it, but you can certainly use the mixer on low speed instead. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger – if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading.
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or non-stick spray – just use the same bowl you used for the dough. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminium foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes or until double in size.
Preheat oven to 240°C. Allow it to heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes as you shape the pizza. Lightly grease baking sheet or pizza pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, which gives the crust extra crunch and flavour.
Shape the dough: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half. (If not making two pizzas, freeze half of the dough for another time– see freezing instructions below.) On a lightly floured work surface using lightly floured hands or rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a disc. Place on prepared pan and, using lightly floured hands, stretch and flatten the disc into a 12-inch circle. Lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges.
Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rest for a few minutes while you prepare your pizza toppings.
Top & bake the pizza:
To prevent the filling from making your pizza crust soggy, brush the top lightly with olive oil. Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Top with your favourite toppings and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Cover leftover pizza tightly and store in the refrigerator. Reheat as you prefer. Baked pizza slices can be frozen up to 3 months.
Source: www.sallysbakingaddiction.com.