First of all, can you believe how casual I was about this pizza dough in the Spinach Dip Bites post? I mean… who do I think I am?
So here it is in it’s own post along with a big dose of respect.
(Oh! Slicing your own peps is where it’s at. Ask anybody! Ask Jake!)
Just know that this is our favorite, straight-up, no-nonsense pizza dough. Jake generally makes it because he’s a G like that. And I haven’t posted this before because the truth is, I’m generally too hungry for this pizza to be a supermodel.
So here you go! Just in time for weekend pizza-ing!
Pizza Dough
Recipe from Baking Illustrated
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 envelope yeast (rapid rise or active dry)
- pinch of sugar
- 1 1/4 cups water at room temperature
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 t salt
- marinara + toppings*
*This pizza’s toppings: mozzarella, parmesan, goat cheese, spinach, and pepperoni.
Directions:
- Measure warm water into a 2-cup measuring cup. Sprinkle with yeast and sugar. Stir to mix and then set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
- Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Or stir together with a wooden spoon and some muscle and pour on the counter to knead.) Briefly combine the dry ingredients and low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients continuing to mix until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, and put into a large greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- Place your pizza stone in the oven and heat the oven to 500° for 30 minutes. (You can use a pizza pan instead of a stone, but the stone works best.) Divide the dough into two equal pieces. (If you are planning on using the other half the next day place in a large ziploc bag and refrigerate over night. You may also freeze the dough for up to three weeks.)
- Form the pizza by using your fingertips to stretch the dough into a circle., flattening the middle and pushing the dough out toward the edges to make the crust. Get your pizza toppings out and have them ready.
- Carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle it with corn meal. Place the dough round on the stone. Top with sauce and toppings. Place back in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the entire pizza lifts when an edge is lifted with a spatula. Remove from the oven and slide onto a cutting board. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Repeat if making two pizzas.
Fresh spinach on pizza is my best friend forever.
Dear Jake,
Is slicing your own peps really where it’s at?
Absolutely.
Yum, yum and yum! Elliot looks like such a teeny tiny here!
Well, he’s been losing weight for summer. He’s on a bikini body diet. : )
P.S. I could eat pizza every day. The truth is, I had it yesterday for lunch and dinner…
Omg! I made this crust tonight for pizza and Jet’s Bread for the kids and spinach calzones for us grown ups. I am probably going into labor, it is so good!