Pizza Dough

Before I got married, I always bought pizza dough in the tube from the grocery store. While my husband certainly loved the pizzas and calzones I made with it while we were dating, I felt the dough was lacking. I always wanted to try making my own, but I was nervous to fail. Shortly after we were married, my Hubbie surprised me with a pizza stone, which gave me just the right push to try my hand at making my own dough. I've tried probably 20 recipes, and after 4 years, I think I have learned and tweaked recipes enough that I have created a darned good pizza dough. I use it for so many things. Pizza, obviously, but also my Focaccia Rolls, bread sticks, garlic knots, calzones. It is very versatile.


Ingredients:
3.5 - 4 cups  All Purpose Flour
2.5 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/3 cups of Warm Water, 110 degrees
1 Envelope of Yeast

 Add the yeast to warm water and let it sit about 3 minutes, until it looks nice and creamy.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with a dough attachment, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and olive oil. Stir the yeast in the water to make sure its all dissolved and add it to the flour mixture.

With the speed on medium, mix until everything is combined. Reduce the speed to low and mix for 10 minutes.
Oil 2 bowls and set aside. Divide the dough in two pieces and roll into a ball. Place each ball of dough into the oiled bowls, seam side down and brush the tops of the dough with a little oil to keep them from drying out. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise. You want it to double in size, which usually takes about an hour. Then, use it to create a delicious meal.

I'm sharing at Tasteful Tuesday @ Nap-Time Creations.