Pizza Dough

It is believed that the original form of what we know today as pizza originated as an affordable meal created by the working/poor class in Naples, Italy. The pizza was made from flat bread and topped with cheese and tomatoes. Tomatoes made their way to Europe after the New World was discovered and explorers brought the first tomatoes to back to Europe. Its popularity grew and soon even travelers and the wealthy were visiting the poor neighborhoods to sample this famous dish. This was, is, and will probably always be a staple in Italian cooking. The modern pizza is served with a variety of sauces and toppings on top, making it a very versatile dish.

Step 1:

Ingredients:

STAGE 1

Dry yeast, 1 Packet (.25 oz)

Very warm water, 1 cup

Sugar, 1 Tbsp

STAGE 2

Oil, 2 ½ Tbsp

Salt, ¼ tsp

Minced garlic, 1 tsp

Italian seasoning, 1 tsp

Flour, 3 ½ cup

Very warm water, 1/4 cup

Step 2:

-Combine all ingredients from stage 1 into a mixing bowl and leave alone to rest for 5 minutes.

-While stage 1 is resting, combine salt, garlic, Italian seasoning, and oil from stage 2 into small bowl.

Step 3:

-Once stage 1 has rested, it will be frothy. Combine stage 2 mixture, flour, and remaining water with stage 1 ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix with dough hook attachment until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

TIP- The dough should form a single ball once it has been mixed enough. Do not over mix, and it can cause the dough to have a heavy consistency.

Step 4:

-Lightly flour a surface to knead the dough on.

-Transfer dough from mixing bowl to floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky (5-6 times)

- Once dough is no longer sticky, loosely form into a ball and place dough on countertop. Cover with the mixing bowl. Allow to rise at room temperature for 30 min or until it is about double in size.

Step 5:

-Once dough ball has doubled in size, pre-heat the oven to 350F and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to desired thickness and place on pizza pan (you can use a stone, skillet or anything else you prefer to use for pizza)

-Add desired sauce and toppings, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the dough is cooked through. A soft crust should spring back when touched, and the underside of the pizza should start to brown slightly.