I have posted this pizza dough recipe before, Where many of us are working from home, or avoiding dining out, it’s a good time to try making your own pizza.

I used to buy grocery store pizza dough for the convenience. I still love a hot Domino’s pizza showing up at my front door. Over the years I have discovered, how easy it is to make pizza dough. Making pizza dough requires few ingredients and, time and planning. I found this recipe in the NYT. There are many many many pizza dough recipes in the universe. They all require, flour, yeast, water, olive oil and salt. What differs is the ratios of these ingredients and the process of making the dough. Roberta’s recipe calls for 00 pizza flour. I have bought the Antimo Caputo Chef’s Flour on Amazon. I made last nights pizza with King Arthur Flour’s 00 pizza flour. Both brands worked well. You can also use only all-purpose flour in this recipe. The dough is a little stiffer, but it still works well. The key to making your own pizza dough is giving the dough time to develop flavor. Make it, at least, the night before you plan on using it. It will last in the refrigerator for several days. You can also freeze the dough after the first rise for future use, or gift it.

The process of making this dough is quick and easy. You either measure the ingredients or weigh them on a kitchen scale. The dough only needs a few turns in the bowl, in two steps. No messy kneading on a flour splattered counter. The first kneading creates a sticky dough. A few minutes later, you knead a relaxed, firmer dough. It’s amazing. Pizza dough is a science experiment that ends up edible. And, you CAN do it!

153 grams 00 flour ( 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon)

153 grams all-purpose flour ( 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons )

8 grams fine sea salt (1 tsp.)

2 grams Rapid Rise yeast (3/4 tsp.)

4 grams extra-virgin olive oil (1 tsp. )

1 cup lukewarm water (approximately)

In a large mixing bowl, combine fours, yeast and salt. Stir to combine dry ingredients.

You will need a little less than 1 cup of warm water. It should be under 110 degrees or it will kill the yeast. If you’re not sure, let the warm water sit for a few minutes. Cool water won’t hurt the yeast, it will just take a little longer to start working. The amount of water can depend on temperature and humidity in your kitchen. Winters are drier and may require a little more water. Summers are more humid and require less water. If after you mix the ingredients you find there is some flour in the bottom of the bowl, add a few sprinkles of water at a time. You want just enough water for the ingredients to hold together.

Add the olive oil and lukewarm water to the flour mixture. Set a kitchen timer for 3 minutes. With your impeccably clean hands, mix the dry and liquid ingredients together. When it comes together, flour the dough over itself, and push down with the heel of you hand. Turn the bowl, and repeat. I don’t even do this for the whole three minutes. The dough will be sticky and your fingers with be doughy. It’s okay. Pull off what you can from your fingers. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes. When you wash your hands, use cool water. It seems counterintuitive, but it works better than warm water. You will use cool water in your bowl when you’re done making the dough. Trust me.

After 15 minutes, you are going to set the kitchen timer for 3 minutes, and repeat the quick kneading process. Fold and turn the bowl. Nice and easy. It’s not a race. The dough should not be sticky. The yeast has started to work with the gluten in the flour. It will be easier to knead this time. After the three minutes, coat the same bowl with a little olive oil. I form a dough ball, and either lift it out of the bowl, or push it to the side. Put a little olive oil in the bowl and use the dough to coast the sides and bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. I usually use a glass or ceramic bowl. You can cut it into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. It depends on what pan you will be using and how many people you are feeding . I use a cookie sheet for my and do not divide the dough. You can still use 1/2 the recipe on a cookie sheet, for a smaller pizza. This dough also freezes well. This is the perfect time to put in a ziplock back and pop into the freeze. When you use the frozen dough, let it rise in an oil coated bowl. Don’t defrost it in the ziplock bag. Rookie mistake.

If you are using the dough the same day, let it rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. If you using it a different day, and/or want the dough to develop more flavor, place the covered dough in the refrigerator. It will continue to rise, slowly in the refrigerator. The day you want to use it, let it sit at room temperature for about 3 hours. It will rise a little more. After reading the comments, I let it sit for a 1/2 hour on the counter just to make sure it the dough will rise. The plastic wrap will get cloudy and the dough will spread out. I won’t lie, it kinda excites me to see that and to know I made dough! Even after years of making yeast breads, the rise is exciting. As the dough rises, it will bubble. Bubbles are good, it means the yeast is working and developing flavor.

I like to use a cookie sheet for my pizza in my oven heated to 425 degrees. I use a little olive oil to coat the pan and sprinkle a little corn meal. The dough usually stretches to almost the edge of the pan. I don’t use corn meal near the edges as it will burn if there is no dough over it.

I put the dough in the center of the pan and gently stretch it out. Here is where you will need some patience. This dough stretches beautifully, you just have to take your time and work with it. I put a little olive oil from the pan on my finger tips. I gently push the dough from the center, towards the pan edge. Don’t get ambitious and use the palm of your hand. It will break the dough and the dough will stick to your hand. Let it rest for a minute and push it outward a little more. You may have some patches that look thin. It’s ok. The dough will rise more when it cooks.

Once you stretch it out, you can add your pizza sauce. I like to make mine. I use a small can of tomato paste, one small grated onion, water and oregano. I heat the grated onion in olive oil until it starts to become translucent on medium heat. I sprinkle a little salt over the onions. Then I add the can of tomato paste and stir it into the onions. I use the tomato paste can to add water. I start with half a can of water, and stir. If you want more sauce, add another 1/2 can. This makes enough for two pizzas. You can even water it down a little more. I add some oregano and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Sauce done! You can make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you need it.

Add your toppings and bake. I like my cheese to really melt and the bottom of the crust to start to brown. I slip a spatula under the pizza to peek at the bottom of the crust. Enjoy your hot pizza!

Here is the original recipe. I like to read the comments to get ideas.