-
1
Dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Be sure that the water is not hot; temperatures of 120 degrees F and above will kill the yeast, and your dough will not rise.
-
2
Combine other ingredients (except the additional tsp olive oil) + combine with dissolved yeast. Allow these 2 ingredients to mix gradually; use at low speed to mix dough. Mix 2 to 3 minutes, until dough is smooth + elastic.
-
3
Mix only until a smooth dough ball is formed.
-
4
Place dry ingredients in a 4 to 6 quart bowl; make a well in the middle and pour in liquids (reserving tsp of olive oil). Combine ingredients. Lightly oil your hands and begin kneading the dough; knead for 5 minutes. When done the dough should be slightly tacky (that is, it should be barely beyond sticking to your hands).
-
5
Lightly oil the dough ball and the interior of a 1-quart glass bowl. Place the dough ball in bowl and seal bowl w/ food wrap. Set aside at room to rise until double in bulk - about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
-
6
Punch down the dough, re-form a nice round ball and return it to the same bowl; cover again w/ wrap. Refrigerate overnight, airtight.
-
7
About 2 hours before you are ready to assemble pizza, remove the dough from refrigerator. Divide dough into 2 equal portions (or 4 equal portions if making appetizer-sized pizza or if smaller 6-inch pizzas are desired).
-
8
Roll the smaller doughs into round balls on a smooth, clean surface; be sure to seal any holes by pinching or rolling.
-
9
Place the newly formed dough balls in a glass casserole dish, spaced far enough apart to allow for each to double in size. Seal the top of the dish airtight with clear food wrap. Set aside at room temperature until the dough balls have doubled in size (about 2 hours). They should be smooth and puffy.
-
10
To stretch and form the dough for pizza: Sprinkle a medium dusting of flour over a 12x12-inch clean, smooth surface. Use a metal spatula or dough scraper to carefully remove a dough ball from the glass casserole dish, being very careful to preserve its round shape. Flour the dough liberally. Place the floured dough on the floured smooth surface. Use your hand or rolling pin to press the dough down forming a flat circle about 1/2-inch thick. Pinch the dough between your fingers all around the edge of the circle, forming a lip or rim that rises about 1/4-inch above the center surface of the dough. You may continue this outward stretching motion of the hands until you have reached a 9-inch diameter pizza dough.
-
11
To dress the pizza:Lightly sprinkle cornmeal, semolina or flour over the surface of a wooden pizza peel. Arrange the stretched dough over the floured peel surface. Work quickly to dress the pizza so that the dough won't become soggy or sticky from the sauces and toppings.
-
12
When you are ready to transfer the pizza to the pizza stone in the preheated oven, grasp the handle of the peel and execute a very small test jerk to verify that the pizza will come easily off the peel. If the dough doesn't move freely, carefully lift the edges of the dough and try to rotate it by hand. Extreme cases may require that you toss more flour under the dough edges.
-
13
Once the dough is moving easily on the peel, open the oven and position the edge of the peel over the center of the stone about 2/3 from the front of the stone. *Jiggle and tilt the peel to get the pizza to start sliding off. When the pizza begins to touch the stone, pull the peel quickly out from under it. Don't attempt to move the pizza until it has begun to set (about 3 minutes). The peel can be slid under the pizza to move it or remove it.
