Dough Ingredients

• 3.5 cups (500 g) unbleached white flour
• 1 to 1.25 cups tepid water (adjust for humidity and ease of mixing)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil (adjust for ease of mixing)
• 1 packet dry yeast

Preparation

1. Put flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Measure water and completely dissolve yeast into the water.
3. Add oil to the water/yeast mixture.
4. Pour wet ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix with a large spoon as best you can, then finish by hand. A stand mixer with a dough hook also works.
5. Knead until you have incorporated all the flour. Aim for a smooth ball, but be careful not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.
6. Coat the ball with olive oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, and set aside in a room-temperature or warm place to rise for two to four hours, or until about 4× in size.
7. Cut the dough into two equal pieces for two thin-crust pizzas that fill most of a cookie sheet or pizza pan. For thinner or smaller pizzas, divide into three or four.
8. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
9. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and top as you like (see below).
10. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes at 450°F — depending on pan, crust thickness, toppings, and oven — until the crust edge is light brown and crisp. Trade off time and temperature to suit your taste.

Toppings (per pizza)

1. Apply ½ can of tomato paste evenly over the rolled-out crust with the back of a spoon.
2. Distribute 8 oz of grated mozzarella over the tomato paste, all the way to the edge.
3. Add Italian sausage — remove the casing and apply as small balls, or slice frozen sausage into discs.
4. Slice mushrooms and add, if you like.
5. Slice or dice half a bell pepper and add.
6. Chop half a yellow or Spanish onion and add.
7. Sprinkle one or two teaspoons of fennel seed over the pizza.
8. Sprinkle two or three teaspoons of oregano over the pizza.

Tips

• Aluminum pans reflect radiant heat and make for a softer crust. Steel pizza pans, cast iron, or pizza stones are preferred.
• Let the topped pizzas rest for about 30 minutes before baking to improve crust texture — one reason the second pizza is often better than the first.
• It takes practice to make a dough you’re satisfied with. Read the bread chapter of Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking.
• For more complex flavor, make the dough the day before. It can rise in the refrigerator, but will likely need additional time in a warm place before cooking.
• You can “push” the recipe by adding sugar to the water/yeast mixture, or doubling the yeast and shortening the rise — the flavor won’t be as good.
• Fresh yeast makes a difference.