At-Home Pizza Dough
2017 has officially begun! Save yourself some time during the week and pre-make pizza dough for quick and easy lunches or dinners that don’t come from a box, but are just as easy to take with you or pack in a school lunch.
Makes 4 pizzas/10 ounce each
Helpful hint: The dough works best if it’s prepared a day ahead of when you want to make your pizzas.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups lukewarm water
1.75 ounces fresh yeast (1 tablespoon if using dried yeast)
10 ounces all-purpose flour
2.5 pounds all-purpose flour (set aside an extra 2 cups to dust table & sheet tray)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 ounces olive oil
METHOD:
Using the bowl of a mixer (or a large bowl if you don’t have a mixer): crumble fresh yeast, add the lukewarm water and the 10 ounces of all-purpose flour. Whisk the mixture until well combined and then let the mixture rest for 20 minutes.
Attach the bowl to your mixer and attach the dough hook to the machine. Add salt, olive oil and the remaining flour. Mix on medium to low speed until the dough has become one unit. The mixing should take no more than 5 minutes.
If you don't have a mixer, use a wooden spoon to blend the contents together until you have a loose, sticky ball. Place the dough on a counter with flour and continue to work the dough with your hands, forming it into a ball, pressing it down and reshaping it. Continue doing so until the dough is no longer as sticky, and it becomes possible to shape it into a ball without the dough falling apart.
Dust off a table surface with your extra flour, and transfer the dough onto the counter before sprinkling it with more flour.
Portion 10 ounces of the dough using a scale. Using both hands, shape dough into round balls, and place onto a sheet tray that has a small amount of flour on it. When all dough has been portioned, cover it with plastic wrap and store inside refrigerator until you are ready to make your pizzas.
To make your pizzas, simply pull the dough out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours beforehand to thaw. Place your dough on a floured pan or pizza stone and knead into the desired shape and thickness. Dress it with your favorite toppings and place it in the oven at 550 for 5 minutes before rotating it and letting it cook another 5 minutes.
Enjoy!