Master this classic pizza dough recipe for perfect pizza every time... just add toppings of your choice.
Over the past few years, we have witnessed countless food trends taking Dublin by storm. Think avocado toast, cronuts, elaborate G&Ts, burritos, or who could forget the doughnut craze of 2018.
They have inspired long queues, Instagram posts, and think-pieces galore. Granted, some of these fads have survived while others faded into obscurity. But one craze that proved it was going absolutely nowhere was pizza. Walk down any street in the city centre and you're likely to stumble upon a restaurant specialising in woodfired, sourdough or Neapolitan pizza.
But as much as we love having some of the tastiest slices readily at our fingertips, sometimes there's just nothing better than a little piece of homemade heaven — and we're not talking about throwing a frozen pizza in the oven. Below, the chefs at Paulie's Pizza, Dublin 2 break down everything it takes to master the art of pizza dough at home. Trust, this recipe is so simple, even those of you who use your ovens as additional storage can pull it off without a hitch.
Buon Appetito!
how to make the perfect pizza dough
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Serves: One
Method:
- Pour the water into a bowl and mix in the salt and yeast
- Stir in the flour gradually.
- Knead vigorously with light criss-cross punches to oxygenate. Relax and smooth the dough, which forms gradually. Try to replicate the movement of the arm of a mechanical mixer.
- When the dough has absorbed all the flour (the sides and bottom of the bowl are clean) remove from the bowl and continue kneading for 20 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- Divide the dough into 220-250g portions (perfect size for a 12-inch pizza), roll each portion into a ball and place on a lightly floured tray, leaving a gap between each one.
- Cover with a cloth and leave to proof in a dry cool place for six to eight hours.
- When the proofing time has passed, on a lightly floured surface (just a pinch of flour, no more) stretch the balls one at a time as thinly as possible using your fingertips at first, with the palm of your hand expanding the disc from the centre outwards.
- Add toppings, bake and enjoy.
Main image by Harry Weir
This article was originally published on our sister site, FOOD AND WINE.
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