Pizza Dough

Serves: (2) 16" pizzas   Ingredients: • 1 1/3 cups warm water (warm to the touch, 105 to 115 degrees) • Pinch of sugar • 1 packet of yeast (not the rapid rise kind, just the regular stuff) • 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt • 1/4 cup olive oil • 4 cups flour • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

To prepare:

Heat the water until it's warm to the touch (105 to 115 degrees). Add a pinch of sugar and the yeast to the water. Mix the yeast in and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then add the 1/4 cup olive oil to the yeast mixture. Add all the liquid to the flour and salt mixture. Knead everything for about 5 minutes. If it is very humid outside you may need to add more flour. If it's dry you may need a bit more water. You will know the dough is the right consistency when you knead it and it's not completely sticking to your hands. Look for an elastic dough that is not super sticky.

Let the dough rise twice. Once for 1.5 hours and once for 20-30 minutes.

Separate dough into 2 halves, each makes a 16-inch round Neapolitan style pizza.

 

Place shaped pizza dough onto a pizza pan with a light coating of olive oil, bake for approximately 10 minutes at 400F.  Remove and apply toppings, baked until brown (for a crisper crust you can remove it from the pizza pan and place it on the rack)

Suggested toppings:

• Fresh mozzarella cheese
• Gruyere cheese
• Fresh basil
• Tomatoes (remove centers to reduce excess liquid)
• Mushrooms
• Roasted red peppers

• Pepperoni

• ... just about anything really!