Best pizza dough recipe

The other day, my husband and I were out shopping. I have been eyeing this pizza stone at Cookworks and since they were having 20% off sale, I thought this was the perfect time to get one. Once we get there though, I forgot completely about the pizza stone and almost didn't purchase it. But I remembered at the last minute and somehow I managed to convince my hubby that we needed a $50.00 dollar pizza stone. I told him that I was going to make him an awesome pizza once we got it.

I love making pizza at home from scratch. Yes, it is time costuming because you have to make the dough and wait for it to rise. Anytime there is yeast involved, it takes time. But you can always make a big batch and freeze the dough for later use. Home pizza feels healthier. I am not sure if it saves you money since you can get $1.50 pizza slices and if you are single, making a pizza at home doesn't really make sense. However, if you do have the time to make them, home made pizza gives you a sense of pride knowing that you are going that extra mile to be healthy. Plus I love the feeling of a dough under my hands; the ones that are soft and supple to touch and you can manipulate it easily.

And I have used this pizza dough recipe few times and I love it. It's from Foodnetwork's Tyler Florence. I usually get 2 9" crusts using this recipe.

PIZZA DOUGH:

1 package of active dry yeast (2 1/4 Tsp if you buy in bulk)
1 Tsp of sugar
1 C Warm water
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin oil
3 Cups of flour ( I found 2 1/2 cups to be optimal)
Italian seasoning

In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water; stir gently to dissolve. Let it stand until the yeast comes and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes. You can see the yeast bubbling and come "alive".

Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Add the flour little bit at a time. Like I mentioned in the recipe, I use about 2 and half cups of flour in all. It's always easier to add more flour than take away the flour. I also add Italian seasoning at this point. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. You can get a feel of the dough by touching it. If it feels soft and non sticky, it's close to being done. Mix until the dough gathers into a ball, this usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold it over few times until it feels smooth and elastic. Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and turn it over so you get oil on the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel and let it rise in a warm spot for an hour until doubles in size. If you live in a colder region, I suggest you put it in the oven with temperature set at 100 - 150 F or another trick I use is putting a hot water in a bowl underneath the greased bowl and I warm up couple tea towels in the dryer beforehand and use them to cover the dough. I made a mistake of assuming that the dough was going to rise one time and it never did. I've heard of people put it by the dryer that is turned on or on top of the fridge.

Roll the dough and divide it into either 2 or 3 pieces depending on how big you want your crust to be. Spread little bit of olive oil on the edge of the crust and top it with the pizza sauce and any toppings you desire. Bake it for about 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you want it to be.

I stick my pizza stone in to heat it up at 500 F. It produces a nice brown crust and it is uber delicious.
If this is your first time making a pizza dough at home, this is a great recipe to use.