Pizza
No, this recipe is not autentico (*italian hand gesture*) but it is simple and does not require any special tools such as a pizza stone, pizza peel, or pizza oven. Also it's good :)
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water, approximately 110° F
- 1 package active dry yeast (.25oz, make sure it's not expired)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- herbs and seasonings (optional)
- approx 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- approx 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- toppings of your choice (optional)
Instructions
- Heat your water and add the yeast and sugar; allow to activate for about 10-15 minutes (until foamy.)
- Add salt (and other seasonings such as oregano and garlic powder if you'd like) to the flour, then add in the olive oil and the yeast mixture and mix. If the mixture is too wet to knead, add a little more flour until it's kneadable.
- Knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Return the dough to the bowl and leave to rise for about an hour, when it should have doubled in size. Cover the bowl with something to prevent the dough from drying out and to keep insects away.
- Grease a baking sheet (or pizza pan if you have one) and spread the risen dough out in the pan. I recommend a rectangular shape to make the best use of space if using a baking sheet. You can spread the dough out thinner than you may expect.
- Allow the dough to rise again—I've found about 30 minutes is adequate if the first rise went properly, but a longer second rise may give you a thicker, airier crust.
- Preheat the oven to 450° F. While the oven is preheating, grate your cheese and slice any toppings.
- Pre-bake the crust itself for about 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and add sauce, cheese, and toppings. Turn the oven down a little and continue baking for about 10-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown.