Basic Pizza Dough

By AJloves2cook

Bread Machine recipe but can be used for making regular Pizza Dough only you will need to knead & proof the dough yourself.

Makes one 17"x11" rectangular crust, or one 14" deep dish crust, or two 12"-14" thin round crusts, or four 8" personal thin round crusts.

Taken from "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger, p.390.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups WATER
• 1/4 cup Extra-Virgin OLIVE OIL
• 1 1/2 teaspoons SALT
• 3 1/2 cups Unbleached All_Purpose FLOUR
• 1 Tablespoon SUGAR
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (1 pkg) Bread Machine YEAST
• or
• 2 teaspoons SAF YEAST

Preparation

Step 1

1) Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions. Program for the Dough or Pizza Dough cycle and press Start. The dough ball will be soft.

2) When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Immediately remove the bread pan from the machine and turn the dough out into a lightly floured work surface. Divide into the desired number of portions. Flatten each portion into a disc by kneading a few times then folding the edges into the center. Cover with a damp towel on the work surface to rest for 30 minutes until the dough has increased about 20% in size.

3) Roll out and shape the dough as directed in your pizza recipe. Or place the dough in plastic food storage bags and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To use refrigerated dough, let rest for 20 minutes at room temperature before rolling out. The dough balls may also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months; let the frozen dough defrost in the refrigerator over-night before using.