Homemade Pizza Dough

Also see our article about How To Make Pizza with image guide.

How To Make Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
25 gm/1 oz Fresh or Dried yeast
350 gm/12 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
1 Teaspoon Castor (fine granulated) sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Teaspoon Oil
100 gm/4 oz Extra flour for kneading.
Method:
Put fresh yeast in a cup and mix with a little lukewarm water. Follow packet instructions if using dried yeast.

Shift the flour on to a large flat surface (wood, laminated plastic or marble) so that it forms a mound. Make a well in the center and put in the sugar,salt,oil and 300 ml/½  pint/1¼ Cups of lukewarm water. Mix together with the fingers. When the water is well blended with the flour incorporate the yeast a little at a time.
 
 Knead the dough energetically with both hands, lifting it up and beating it on the work surface, for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, put in a lightly floured bowl and leave to rise in a slightly warm place (about 28℃ / 82℉) (not in oven) for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Return the dough to the work surface and knead again foe a few minutes, using the extra flour. Roll out several times with a rolling pin for another 15 minutes. Flatten the ball with the hands to obtain the required size round and put on an oiled baking tray. Press with the finger tips so that the pizza is thicker at the edges than in the center.
Complete with the chosen topping and bake. Makes 2 (30 cm/12 inch) or 4 (20 cm/8 inch) round pizza bases.

Note: Liquid for yeast mixtures must be lukewarm. If it is cooler the rising will take longer, but if it is much warmer the action of the yeast will be killed.
This recipe will make just over 450 gm/pound of dough.