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1
Mix all of the water, yeast, salt and sugar in a stand mixer with 2 cups of the bread flour and mix the ingredients for 1 or 2 minutes or until they have totally mixed and the dough looks like a batter.
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2
Allow dough (batter) to sit covered with a towel for 20 minutes to autolyse.
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3
Once the 20 minutes are up add a dough hook onto the mixer and kneed for 5 minutes on med-low.
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4
This will not look like its doing much but it is agitating the hydrated flour and will help form gluten.
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5
Add in another cup of flour and kneed again for five minutes.
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6
Once the five miuntes are up check the dough if it is pulling away from the sides or has formed a ball on the hook your done, but if it is still clinging to the bowl slowly add the remaining cup of flour till it totally pulls away but is still a little sticky to the touch.
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7
Once it has formed a ball cover and let sit for another 20 minutes.
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8
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench roll into 3 balls.
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9
You might have to dust the tops with flour because the dough will probably be sticky to the touch.
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10
Put the dough balls into a flat gallon zip top sprayed with no stick spray and leave in the refridgerator for at least 12 hours for up to 6 days but the longer the better.
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11
You can also freeze the dough for longterm storage.
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12
Baking.
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13
When ready to bake let your refridgerated dough sit out on floured surface for at least 30 minutes.
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14
Place a pizza stone or unglazed quarry tile in the oven on the middle rack and preheat at 550 degrees for at least 45 minutes
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15
Take the pizza dough and press in about a half of an inch to form the lip then spread pizza dough on a very lightly floured peel or lipless cookie sheet into a 12 inch round.
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16
Before you add toppings make sure your pizza slides well on the peel if not, remove and lightly add more flour.
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17
Add a light layer of sauce and then add your toppings, basil, and lastly the cheese.
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18
Slide your pizza off the peel onto the stone and bake for 5 to 7 minutes depending on how crisp you like the crust.
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19
Remove from the oven and lest it sit on a cooling rack for 3 minutes to let the cheese set.
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20
Garlic crust topping *Optional*.
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21
In a small pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil with one smashed clove of garlic and cook until the garlic just starts to brown, then remove the clove and turn off the heat.
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22
Brush oil on baked pizza lip and sprinkle on a few flakes of kosher salt to taste.
