Pizza Dough

Growing up in New York, my family always ordered pizza on Friday nights.  There were literally pizza places on almost every corner, and they all managed to make really good pizza.  Since I've moved to Maryland, I have to say that good, quality pizza is something I miss.  Around here, most of the pizza places are large chains, and to me, that pizza just isn't the same.

Somehow, Friday has now become pizza night for Matt and I as well.  It started simple-we would buy some pre-made pizza dough, some pizza sauce, some cheese and whatever toppings we were in the mood for. Over the course of the past year or so, Matt and I have been experimenting with different ingredients and quantities to perfect our own homemade dough. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be making my own pizza dough! It's really not as daunting of a task as it seems, and we really think this dough is quite tasty, in fact, we think this dough is better than any pre-made crust or dough you can buy in the stores, and definitely better than the crust that comes with the pizza from those chain restaurants.

Pizza Dough

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 1/3 cups bread flour

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5-10 minutes.

Using the dough hook, stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of the flour. With the machine set to low speed, add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time.  If the dough looks watery or stick to the bowl, add more flour, if it looks to dry, add more oil. 

Once all the flour has been added, turn up the speed and let the machine knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes; it should be very smooth and slightly sticky. Remove dough from machine, form into a ball, and place into oiled bowl. Turn the dough a few times to cover it lightly with the oil. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a draft-free location (I put it in the microwave).

Meanwhile, if you are using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees.  Allow the stone to heat in the oven for at least 30 minutes.  If you don't want to turn the oven that high, you can heat the oven to 450 degrees, but keep the stone in longer so that it heats.

Turn one piece of the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to desired thickness and shape it into the shape of a pizza.  Transfer dough to a pizza peel or a round piece of parchment paper. Alternatively, you can shape it on top of parchment paper so that it is easier to transfer to the pizza stone. Repeat with second piece of dough.  If desired, freeze one part of the dough for later use.  The best way to do so is to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then place in a freezer bag and place it in the freezer.

Pinch a crust border around the perimeter of the pizza.  Top pizza as desired. Brush a small amount of olive oil along the crust. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone and bake until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Inspired by allrecipes.com, Ina Garten, and Emeril Lagasse