Fire & Slice published by Ryland Peters & Small (£9.99) Photography © Ryland Peters & Small
How To Make Basic Pizza Dough
This will make two medium-crust typical Neapolitan pizza – soft and chewy with a crisp crust or cornicione.
Ingredients
- 25g/1 cake fresh/compressed yeast, OR 1 tbsp / 1 packet dried active baking yeast, OR 2 tsp fast-action / quick-rising dried yeast
- 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
- 250ml hand-hot water
- 500g unbleached white bread flour or Italian ‘0’ flour, plus extra to dust
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
- In a medium bowl, cream the fresh/compressed yeast with the sugar and whisk in the hand-hot water. Leave for 10 minutes until frothy. For other yeasts, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture, then the olive oil. Mix together with a round-bladed knife, then use your hands until the dough comes together. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface, wash and dry your hands, then knead briskly for five–10 minutes until smooth, shiny and elastic (five minutes for warm hands, 10 minutes for cold hands!). Don’t add extra flour at this stage –a wetter dough is better. If you feel the dough is sticky, flour your hands, not the dough. The dough should be quite soft. If it is really too soft, knead in a little more flour.
- To test if the dough is ready, roll it into a fat sausage, take each end in either hand, lift the dough up and stretch it outwards, gently wiggling it up and down – it should stretch out quite easily. If it doesn’t, it needs more kneading. Shape the dough into a neat ball. Put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm, draught-free place until doubled in size – about one and a half hours.
- Uncover the dough, punch out the air, then tip out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into two and shape into smooth balls. Place the balls well apart on non-stick baking parchment, cover loosely and leave to rise for 60–90 minutes. Use as desired.
Fire & Slice published by Ryland Peters & Small (£9.99) Photography © Ryland Peters & Small
