Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 1kg strong white bread flour or Tipo ‘00’ flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 × 7g sachets dried yeast
• 1 tablespoon golden caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 650ml lukewarm water

Method

1. Sieve the flour and salt onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle.
2. In a jug, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into 650ml of lukewarm water. Leave for a few minutes.
3. Pour the liquid into the well. Using a fork, gradually bring the flour in from the sides.
4. When the mixture begins to come together, work in the remaining flour with clean, flour-dusted hands.
5. Knead until the dough is smooth and springy.
6. Place the dough in a large flour-dusted bowl. Flour the top, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
7. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted surface. Knead it briefly to push out the air; this is called knocking back.
8. Divide the dough into as many balls as required. This quantity makes about six to eight medium pizzas.
9. Roll the pizzas out 15–20 minutes before cooking. For advance preparation, cover the dough and keep it in the refrigerator.
10. Coat a dough ball in flour, press it into a disc, then gently stretch it until thin while keeping a thicker rim.
11. Add your chosen toppings.
12. Cook for 7–10 minutes in a conventional oven, until golden and crispy. A pizza oven usually takes around 4 minutes.