Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- active dry
- 1 cup water warm
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- extra-virgin
- 3 cups flour
- unbleached all-purpose may substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the white flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- extra-virgin
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- extra-virgin
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce fresh
- or a good prepared marinara sauce
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
- 3 each tomatoes Thinly sliced (2 or 3
- preferably Romas)
- 1 each red onion Sliced
- rinsed with cold water and patted dry
- green bell peppers or red
- mushrooms sliced
- olives pitted
Instructions
- Mix together the yeast, sugar, water and olive oil in a small bowl or measuring cup until the yeast is completely dissolved.
- Let stand for a few minutes.
- Place 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
- Pulse once or twice.
- With with the machine running, pour in the yeast mixture.
- Process until the dough forms a ball on the blades.
- Remove from the processor, and knead on a lightly floured surface for a couple of minutes, adding flour as necessary for a smooth dough.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, rounded side down first, then rounded side up.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm spot to rise for one hour.
- The dough will have nearly doubled in bulk and will stretch as it is gently pulled.
- Divide the dough into two equal balls.
- Roll each ball around on your work surface under the palm of your hand until the ball feels smooth and firm, about one minute.
- If the dough is sticky, brush the work surface with a little bit of olive oil.
- Put the dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with pan-sprayed plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Place a pizza stone, if you have one, on the middle rack of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Lightly oil a 12 to 14-inch pizza pan, and dust with semolina or fine cornmeal.
- Roll or press out the dough to fit the pizza pan, and line it.
- With your fingers, form a slightly thicker raised rim around edge of the circle.
- Brush everything but the rim with one teaspoon olive oil.
- Use a rubber spatula to spread the tomato sauce over the pizza in an even layer.
- Top with thin slices of mozzarella.
- Arrange any of the additional toppings on top.
- Drizzle the pizza with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place the pizza pan on the stone in the hot oven.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is brown and the cheese bubbling and lightly browned in spots.
- Remove from the heat, cut into wedges (I use kitchen scissors for this) and serve.
← Back to all recipes