My Pizza Crust Obsession

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup hot water (tap water hot-not boiling)
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon dry milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup unbleached flour, for consistency and surface

Recipe

• 1 combine in large bowl, hot water, oil, sugar, yeast, dry milk, and salt.
• 2 whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes.
• 3 add 1 cup of flour and mix together until evenly combined.
• 4 let sit for 5 minutes.
• 5 slowly add 1/2 cup of flour. stir until combined.
• 6 add in remaining 1/2 cup of flour to form a dough ball.
• 7 dump dough ball out onto floured surface and begin to knead.
• 8 take remaining flour and add to dough ball as you are kneading until the dough ball is sticky but will easily release from your hands.
• 9 place in a large greased bowl and cover. (i use a cloth towel.)
• 10 let sit in warm area until doubled in size. approximately 45 minutes.
• 11 (optional for fluffier crust: punch down dough ball and let rise until doubled in size again.).
• 12 oven and pizza stone need preheated at least 20 minutes at 500 degrees with 1 rack 2nd row from top and 1 on the bottom.
• 13 stone needs to start out on the 2nd from top rack.
• 14 dump dough out onto floured surface.
• 15 start from the center and press and stretch out to the size of your desired pizza. thickness will approximately double.
• 16 transfer dough to either a peel sprinkled with corn meal or a pizza pan.
• 17 pinch and roll outside edges to make outside crust.
• 18 cover with your favorite sauce and toppings.
• 19 shake peel slightly to make sure pizza dough is loose from peel.
• 20 slide pizza onto stone on 2nd from top rack or place pizza pan on this rack.
• 21 cook for 4 minutes.
• 22 take peel and transfer stone to bottom rack or place pizza pan on bottom rack.
• 23 cook for 6 more minutes or until cheese is browned to your preference.
• 24 take pizza out with peel or on pan.
• 25 let stand for 5 minutes. slice and enjoy.