This is a great pizza dough and the key is to let it set overnight. I took the original recipe from the food scientist himself, Alton Brown. I adjusted it slightly for my own taste and increased the quantity to make two fair sized pizzas. It came out great. Here is the recipe
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoon pure olive oil
1 cup warm water (1 1/8 for fluffier crust, 1 more cup if doing large batch)
3 cups bread flour (for bread machines, for healthier crust substitute 1 cup of bread flour with 1 cup of whole wheat flour) (1 more cup of flour for large batch)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
3 teaspoons olive oil
Olive oil, for the pizza crust
Flour, for dusting the pizza peel
Directions
Add 1 slightly warm cup of water to bowl along with 1 tbsp of the sugar and the yeast. Stir and let set while measuring the dry ingredients and putting them into a mixing bowl starting with the flour, then adding remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the rest of the dry ingredients on top. Using the paddle attachment mix on low until dry ingredients blended. Now add in yeast and water mixture along with olive oil and mix on low again until the dough comes together. Switch the mixer over to the dough hook attachment and knead for about 15 minutes on medium speed. Take a small piece of the dough and stretch it till thin and hold up to the light. If you have a taut membrane before it tears the dough is ready. If not knead in mixer for another 5-10 minutes and try again. Now pour about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a bowl add the dough and roll around till coated in olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight. Next day remove and let come to room temp. divide in half and roll into two crusts. Sprinkle a thin layer of corn meal on the pizza pan and put the rolled out dough over it and let it set for about 15 mins. Add toppings and bake at 475 to 550 degrees in a pre-heated oven with a pizza stone till edges of the crust turn a deep brown and cheese is melted in the center. See my pizza sauce recipe for a great homemade sauce to go on top.
Customizations:
Softer, Fluffier crust: Add another 1/8 cup of water (1 1/8 cups total)
Chewier Crust and better gluten Devopment Notes:
- Use 00 Flour to get a less bready crust and more like a Pizzeria
- Better Gluten development to allow easier stretching of crust and better chew and bubbles
- Add the water & suga first, mix, then add yeast and flour to the bread maker pan. Run the cycle till the first rest. While the bread maker is in resting period, make a pocket and add the salt and olive oil into the pocket and close the pocket around the salt and oil.
- Flavor development: Make the day before and let ferment in the fridge overnight. Add 1/2 of the yeast and create the dough. Form into two balls and coat with olive oil, then put in a bowl and cover with saran wrap and set in the fridge overnight. Take out of the fridge 1 hour ahead and let warm to room temp before forming crust. This not only makes the crust chewier, but also improves flavor.
Large Batch:
- Add 1 more cup of water and 1 more cup of flour. Rest of ingredients do not make a noticeable impact or flavor or quality.
Crispy Bottom:
- Use Pizza stone as mentioned above. If no pizza peel is available form crust and put onto aluminum foil that has been oiled with olive oil, put foil with crust onto pizza pan and slide onto pizza stone, when removing grab edge of foil not touching pizza stone and slide back onto pizza pan. If no pizza stone is available put crust on foil as if to put onto pizza stone (above) but instead preheat pizza pan in oven then remove pan and put foil with crust onto preheated pizza pan and put back into oven to cook,
