Italian Pizza Dough Recipes

REAL ITALIAN PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to the lowest setting possible.
• Combine 4 cups flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; turn mixer on low speed. Crumble yeast into small pieces and add to the flour. Slowly pour in water. Scrape the sides to make sure all flour is incorporated and mix until dough begins to pull away from the sides and form a ball. Drizzle in oil and mix until fully incorporated.
• Knead on low speed for 5 or 6 minutes, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons extra flour if needed. Remove dough from the bowl and use your hands to form a ball. Return dough to the bowl and score the top with an "x." Cover with a damp cloth.
• Turn oven off and place dough in the oven to rise for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
• Remove dough from the oven and reattach the bowl to the stand mixer. Uncover and punch down dough. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or tray on the bottom oven rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Cut dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each one into ball. Dust with flour if needed. Place balls on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Roll out each ball into a 9-inch circle and top with desired toppings (no more than 1 cup sauce per pizza).
• Place pizza on the pizza stone in the preheated oven. Immediately lower the temperature to 410 degrees F (210 degrees C) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes; actual length of time will depend on your toppings. Repeat to make remaining pizzas.

NEW YORK ITALIAN PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Pour the warm water into the pan of a bread machine, sprinkle in the salt, and add the flour to the pan so the flour sits on top of the water. Make a hole in the top of the flour, and spoon the yeast into the hole. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes to moisten the flour. Set the bread machine to the knead setting, and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead in 1/4 cup more flour or as needed, adding the flour about 2 tablespoons at a time, to make a wet, sticky, but elastic dough. The dough should be "as soft as a baby's bottom." Form the dough into a round shape.
• Wipe the inside of a large bowl with olive oil, and place the round ball of dough into the bowl. Turn the dough over a couple of times so the dough picks up a thin coating of oil. Cover with a cloth, and refrigerate the dough for 10 hours or overnight.
• The next day, allow the dough to come to room temperature before rolling out on a floured surface and adding toppings as desired. Roll the dough out thin with a thicker edge before adding toppings.
• Place a pizza stone into oven, dust it with a little flour, and preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Bake the pizza on the stone in the preheated oven until the bottom of the crust is browned, 6 to 8 minutes.