Traditional Pizza Dough

Recipe Serves: 12
Recipes Ingredients:
1/4 c Water (110 to 115 Degrees -F.)
1/4 c Warm Water (110 to 115 -Degrees F.)
1/2 ts Sugar
1 tb Olive Oil (Room Temperature)
1/2 ts Salt
1 1/2 c Unbleached Flour
1/2 pk Active Dry Yeast

Recipe Instructions:
Additional Flour-Additional Water HAND
METHOD:
Pour the first 1/4 Cup of water into a
medium bowl and add the sugar and salt,
stirring to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle the
yeast over the water mixture, stirring once
to blend and let sit for 5 minutes until the
top is bubbly and the yeast has bloomed. Stir
in the remaining warm water and the oil.
Place the flour in a large bowl and add the
water and oil mixture to it. Stir, adding
enough flour to make a soft dough that
will pull away from the sides of the bowl. If
it is too dry, add a little water a tbls at a
time. Turn the dough out on a well-floured
work surface, sprinkle the top with a little
additional flour. Knead until it become very
springy, elastic and very smooth. It should
be light in weight, if it is heavy, you have use
too much flour and it will not raise
properly. Form into a smooth ball and let
rest on the work surface while you wash
and clean the large bowl. Spray with a non-
stick spray. Put the ball of dough into the
bowl and turn it over to get some of the
spray on the top. Cover with plastic wrap or
a warm, damp, clean dishtowel. Let the
dough rise in a warm, draft free place until
double in volume, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If
the dough rises before you are ready, punch
it down in the bowl by kneading making
sure all of the air is gone. Turn it over and
reshape it into a ball and let rise again. If
the top is dry, use a little olive oil to grease
it. You can punch the dough down and
cover the bowl and keep the dough
refrigerated for up to two days before
letting it rise at room temperature. For a
thin, crisp pizza crust punch the dough
down and turn out and spread over a pizza
pan or baking sheet or a bakers peel. Cover
with filling and topping, baking at once.
For thicker, softer pizza crust punch the
dough down and turn out shaping as above
and then cover lightly with a clean
dishtowel. Let rise about 30 minutes before
covering with filling and topping. Makes
enough dough for one 12 to 14 inch round
pizza, two 7 to 8- inch round pizzas or one
oblong pizza, or one dozen appetizer-sized
pizzas.