Fresh Pizza Dough
This recipe comes from the amazing hotel we stayed at in Italy. The chef's there took time to prepare not one, but TWO cooking classes for us! This was our first one where we learned how to make pizza dough, then we got to build our own pizzas and cook them in one of the original ovens built on the property! It was a perfect day.
It's a simple recipe that can easily be made in advance and stored. It's also great to do with kids! They'll love everything from mixing the ingredients by hand to rolling out and building their own pizzas! That's one of my favorite memories of my Dad - growing up he was responsible for our Friday night pizza dinner and helping him make it was always so much fun! Now I hope you all can share this recipe with your dads - or your kids - or both!
Buon Appetito
Pizza Dough
Makes 3, 20-inch pies or 6, 8-inch pies
4 C. flour (00 is best, but AP will also work)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 Tbs. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 C. warm water
Combine flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Add in olive oil. Slowly add in about half of the water. Start to mix with your hand.
As the dough comes together, add more water as needed until a uniform ball of soft, smooth dough forms. This may take up to 10 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rest in a warm spot for 3 hours.
After 3 hours the dough is ready to use. Or you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Or you can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. If you are using stored dough, allow it to come to room temperature before trying to roll it out.
Roll out dough to desired size, shape and thickness - top with tomato, fresh mozzarella and whatever other toppings you would like.
Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until cheese melts and crust is cooked through.