Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 g fresh yeast or 1/4 tsp dried active yeast
• 250 ml warm water

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix the flour and salt together and set aside. This is the dry mixture.
2. Put the yeast in a larger bowl and add the water. Stir until the yeast has dissolved. This is the wet mixture.
3. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Stir the two mixtures together with a wooden spoon and then your hands until it comes together to form a dough. Cover with the bowl that had the dry mixture in it and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes, the dough is ready to be kneaded. Leaving it in the bowl, pull a portion of the dough up from the side and press it into the middle. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat this process with another portion of dough. Repeat another 8 times. The whole process should only take about 10 seconds and the dough should start to resist. Cover the bowl again and let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Repeat step 4 twice then knead one final time. Cover the bowl again and leave to rise in a cool place for 24 hours.
6. The next day when the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down with your fist to release the air. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Remove the ball of dough from the bowl and place it on the floured work surface. Divide it into 5 equal portions using a metal dough scraper or sharp serrated knife.
7. Take one portion of dough and roll between your hands until you get a perfectly round, smooth ball. Flatten one side slightly and lay it, flat-side down, on the work surface. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough. Cover the balls of dough with a large bowl and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
8. Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin until it’s as thin as you like. Prick the bases all over with a fork. Lay each base on a sheet of parchment paper and arrange the toppings of your choice over the top, then leave to rest for 10-15 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240C. Set a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven to preheat. Place a roasting tin at the bottom of the oven. Fill a cup with water and set aside.
10. Transfer one of the pizza bases to the preheated baking sheet or stone, pour the cupful of water into the hot roasting tin to create some steam, and lower the oven temperature to 220C.
11. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Bake the remaining bases individually.