Pizza Dough and Cooking Times

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Yeast active dry yeast (11 grams preferably)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Olive oil (Separate in 1 1/2 and 1 tablespoon doses)
• 3 cups All purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/4 cup Water Warm (about at 120F/50C)

Instructions

1. 1.) In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil.
2. 2.) Stir mixture and then let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. 3.) Add to mixture 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt.
4. 4.) Mix by hand until all the flour is absorbed and the mixture is smooth.
5. 5.) Add floor left (preferably 1/4 cup at a time) and mix until it is all absorbed. Dough should be slightly sticky.
6. 6.) Knead dough on a slightly floured surface until smooth (about 5 minutes)
7. 7.) Add to mixing bowl the rest of the olive oi (1 1/2 teaspoons)
8. 8.) Place dough in bowl and turn it as to oil all sides.
9. 9.) Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and then set it in a warm place, draft free, until it doubles in size. (If unable to find warm place use a cloth dipped in hot water and cover bowl with it making sure that cloth does not touch or drips on dough, then cover with plastic wrap or by putting a plate over cloth).
10. 10.) While dough rests prepare garnishes (cut mushroom, tomato, slice ham or sausages, etc…) as to be ready when it is time to cook.
11. Cooking.
12. 1.) This will make 2 Medium or 1 Large pizza. In case doing 2 medium pizza simply split dough in 2 equal parts.
13. 2.) Heat oven to 325 degrees.
14. 2.) Using your hands flatten dough and then push it with the palm of your hands outwards. You can also use a pin roller if you are not used to working dough wit your hands.
15. 3.) Once your are satisfied with the thickness and shape of your pizza put it in the oven for 5 minutes. This will harden the crust a little so that when you put your sauce and garnish on it will not turn soggy.
16. 4.) Remove from oven and then spread sauce and garnish on pizza. My order for garnishes goes as follow:
17. - Sauce
18. - Meat (Forget using peperoni… Instead take 2 Italian sausages, or any kind you like, slightly frozen so they do not squish when cutting and cut them in slices… apply in large quantity)
19. - Mushrooms
20. - And any others (ex: green peppers, onions…)
21. - Cheese
22. 5.) Put pizza back into oven for 10-15 minutes. Make certain to stay close and check regularly as to not have it burn
23. 6.) After 15 minutes, if the cheese is not turning darker, put the oven to broil so as to melt if fully. Now look at it constantly otherwise it might burn the cheese in the space of 30 seconds.
24. 7.) Remove from oven and serve while hot.