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1
You will need a large bread bowl, a baking sheet 12 by 18 inches or two smaller sheets.
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2
Place water in a large bowl.
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3
Water should be warm but not hot to the touch.
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4
Stir in the yeast and allow to dissolve.
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5
Stir in 1 cup flour, stirring constantly in the same direction.
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6
Stir in another cup flour, then stir 100 times in the same direction (one minute).
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7
This helps develop the gluten.
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8
You now have a sponge.
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9
Cover, and let stand for half an hour or up to three hours.
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10
When you are ready to continue, sprinkle on salt and oil, then add more flour, stirring it in a half cup at a time.
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11
The dough will be getting heavier and harder to stir.
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12
When you can stir no longer, flour a kneading surface well and have more flour handy beside your work surface.
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13
Turn dough out and knead, adding extra flour to your work surface as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking.
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14
The dough will gradually become smooth and easy to work.
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15
Knead for 10 minutes, clean bread bowl, oil it lightly, and place the ball of dough into the bowl to rise, covered with plastic wrap.
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16
Let rise until more than doubled, almost three hours.
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17
When the volume of the dough has approximately doubled, you can proceed to the next step.
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18
Dough can be made ahead to this point and then stored.
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19
If you wish postpone baking, gently push dough down, and leave covered in the bowl to rise again.
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20
If delay will be more than several hours, instead store dough in a plastic bag in the refrigerator (for not more than five days).
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21
Bring out of the cold and take out of the plastic bag at least an hour before you want to work with it.Lightly flour your work surface and lightly oil a 12 by 18-inch baking sheet.
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22
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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23
Turn dough out onto work surface and flatten with the lightly floured palm of your hand.
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24
Pull and stretch the dough gently out into the rectangular shape you need to fit your baking sheet.
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25
Take your time and give the dough time to rest if it is resisting stretching.
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26
It will need to get quite thin.
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27
When you have stretched the dough to approximately the shape and size you need, transfer it to baking sheet and continue to gently press and stretch it to fit.
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28
Don't worry if it tears, just patch the hole with another piece of dough and press firmly to join the edges.
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29
If you have extra dough hanging over the edge, trim it off and use it to make another small pizza.
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30
Dough should be of an even thinness across the flat part of the baking sheet and should form a slight rounded rim as it meets the edge (which is for many people the best part of the pizza).
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31
Brush top of pizza with oil, then dimple the surface all over with your fingers.
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32
Sprinkle garlic, sea salt and then optional rosemary leaves.
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33
Place baking sheet on the bottom rack of the preheated oven and bake until the crust around the edge is slightly golden, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on how thin the pizza is.
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34
Remove from oven, brush crusts lightly with olive oil and also the center if you wish.
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35
Cut into large squares and serve warm or hot.
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36
We have often made pizza bianca several hours ahead, then wrapped it in a clean kitchen towel to keep it moist until we are ready to reheat it for serving.
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37
To reheat, place in a dampened paper bag in a 300 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.
