Everybody loves Pizza! (and those who don't are lying...) Even when the pizza isn't great.. it's still not bad. And leftover cold pizza.... don't even get me started! (cue the heavy breathing and pizza daydreams)
Ok, so maybe most people don't love pizza like I do. However, most people can agree that making restaurant quality pizza at home is difficult. I enjoy a New York Style pizza that is thin, yet has a substantial "chew" to it and has a good crisp on the bottom, but doesn't have a cracker-like crunch. In short, I am picky! So my wife and I set out to create the best homemade pizza dough recipe EVER! We wanted to use simple, everyday ingredients. No fancy flours or special yeast - just plain All-purpose flour and regular Active Dry yeast. It took several attempts to get the dough right and find the best cooking method. But we have done it folks! And now we share our Masterpiece with the World!!
Ingredients:
For crust:
16.5 oz. (3 cups) of All-Purpose Flour
3 tsp. of sugar
1 tsp. of Active Dty Yeast
1 1/3 cups of ice water
1 tbsp. of vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. of salt
Toppings:
1/4 - 1/2 cup of your favorite sauce
Roughly 2 cups of cheese
Use any toppings you like. Just make sure not to overload your pizza with sauce, cheese, or toppings. Too many of either will make your pizza soggy and/or the toppings will be too heavy for the dough.
Equipment Needed:
Food processor (if you don't have one, a Stand Mixer or a large bowl and rubber spatula will do)
1 Large bowl
Plastic Wrap
A pizza stone or pan for baking
A pizza peel (if using a pizza stone)
Patience.... lol seriously
Directions
1. Combine the flour, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of the food processor. Using the metal blade, pulse to combine the ingredients.
2. Next, with the machine running, slowly add the ice water and mix until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
3. Add the oil and salt and mix until the dough forms a ball that cleanly pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Let the dough rest in the mixer bowl for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the dough onto a lightly oiled countertop or work surface and knead for 1 minute. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.
Allow the dough to rise in the refrigerator for 24 hours to 3 days. (it should double in size) The best results for us were yielded after 3 days.
This allows the dough to develop some great flavor which will give you that classic taste great pizza places are known for.
When you are ready to make your pizza, remove the dough from the fridge, divide into 2 equal portions, place under a clean dish towel and let it come to room temperature for about 30 mins. While the dough is warming up, pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees with your pizza stone inside.
Once your dough is roughly room temperature, you are ready to roll out your dough and begin assembling your pizza. Properly rolling out your dough is a critical step! It will take a few attempts to achieve your preferred thickness. I found a few videos on YouTube that teach you how to shape a pizza like a pro!
Just take your time and practice! I didn't need to use as much flour to stretch my dough but the conditions of your house and flour can cause your dough to differ.
Once your pizza is assembled, transfer to the oven and bake for approximately 7-10 minutes, or until the crust is nice and browned on top and bottom.
There you have it! The BEST HOMEMADE PIZZA EVER!!!
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