Classic Pizza Dough

Ceezie's Note:

Everyone needs at least one black dress and a perfect pizza dough. This is a great first dough. As good as an old friend…but tastier. Did you know you can make and dress your pizzas ahead of time, refrigerate them and bake off when needed? Or bake them on a BBQ grill. Oh the possibilities! Bon appetito! Recipe Source: betterbaking.com

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 pizzas

• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon semolina or 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 -3 cups bread flour
• olive oil (for pizza pans)

Directions:

1. Grease three 9 inch pizza pans with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
2. For the dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer, hand whisk the water and yeast and let stand 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sugar, salt, oil semolina, all-purpose flour and 2 cups of bread flour and mix to make a soft mass. Knead with the dough hook on the slowest speed of the mixer, dusting in additional flour as required to form a soft, elastic dough, about 5 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Insert bowl into a large plastic bag and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Gently deflate the dough, reinsert into plastic bag, and allow to rest an additional 15 minutes.
4. Gently deflate the dough. Press or roll out dough to fit prepared pizza pans.
5. If dough resists or otherwise retracts, let it rest for a few minutes, then gently coax it to fit pan. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of dough. Spread on tomato sauce and topping of your choice
6. Preheat oven to 425°F Bake 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 400°F Bake another 15 - 20 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly brown.