Sam Hewitt: Basic Pizza Dough Recipe

I make pizza fairly often and as such I feel that I have perfected my dough recipe –having said that I never know the exact measurements as I eyeball it nearly all the time.

As such, the pizza dough I make has that right amount of elasticity –that we know and love in pizza– with a hint of sweetness, so I add honey.

Ingredients

This recipe yields enough dough for about three 30-centimetre-ish pizzas, depending on how thin you roll it of course.

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (or a combination thereof)
• scant 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ~1⅓ cup warm water, 40-45 degrees Celcius (104-113 Fahrenheit)
• ~1 tablespoon dry inactive yeast
• ~1 tablespoon sugar
• ~1/4 cup olive oil
• ~1 tablespoon honey (optional –for sweetness)

Directions

1. If you have a stand mixer with dough hook: great. Otherwise mix, with another method, the salt and flour
2. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until the yeast is activated (~10 minutes).
3. Make a well in your flour-salt combination pour in the yeast mixture, olive oil and honey.
4. Mix together until the dough has formed into a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch.
5. Remove, shape into a neat ball and lightly oil it.
6. Loosely cover the dough in a bowl with a dampish cloth and let rise until doubled in volume (1-2 hours depending on the environment).
7. When risen, ideally divide, and knead*.
8. Shape each smaller ball into a pizza shape for baking.

When kneading ensure to use a consistent folding motion –what you're essentially doing is aligning the gluten protein strands to achieve optimum elasticity.

I have come across an alternative method for making dough that I am now a huge fan of: in a food processor. Not only does it minimize mess, but the food processor does all the kneading for you.

Alternative Method:

1. Using a food processor (with the regular blade), combine the flour and salt.
2. Like above, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and wait ~10 minutes until the yeast is activated.
3. Stir the honey and olive oil into the yeast solution.
4. While the food processor is on and going, pour the liquid through the feeding tube of the food processor.
5. Stop when the dough comes together into a sort-of ball
6. Remove, roll into a neater ball and place in a loosely covered container to rise, until it has approximately doubled in size.
7. When risen, divide and shape into pizza crusts(s) for baking.