Ingredients

(makes 6 round pizzas)

1 kg strong white flour e.g. 00

700g warm water

1/2 tsp dried yeast (check the use by date before you start)

1 Tbsp salt

Prep It

Measure warm water into a large bowl. Place yeast in a small bowl and add 2-3 Tbsp of the measured warm water. Set aside to bloom.

Add flour to remaining water and mix by hand to form a shaggy dough, until most of the flour has been incorporated. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes to hydrate the four.

After 30 minutes sprinkle salt over the dough. Use damp fingers to press the salt down into the dough. Grab your yeast mixture, swirl it to combine and add to dough.

Mix well with hands by squeezing and cutting the salt and yeast into the dough. Reach under the dough and stretch the dough up and over itself to really get it in there. You can dampen your hands with water to help the dough from sticking.

Once the yeast and salt is fully incorporated cover the bowl with damp towel and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

Stretch It

After 1 hour the dough needs a stretch and fold. Dampen your hand and reach underneath one side of the dough. Lift the dough up stretching it and fold it over top of the dough in the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and stretch and fold it again. Repeat this process, until you make it all the way round the bowl (4 times).

Cover the bowl with your damp cloth, rest for an hour and repeat the above stretch step.

Rest It

Drizzle some olive oil around the dough, lift the dough so the olive oil gets to the bottom and return the dough. Cover with your damp cloth and let it rise at room temp for about 1 hour. Cover with cling film and put her to bed in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, let it rise at room temp anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on your climate or until about doubled in size.

Divide It

Once dough has doubled either at room temp or from the fridge, carefully remove from bowl onto a floured work surface and evenly and carefully divide into 6 pieces. You can weigh it, I personally just eye ball it. Whatever you do just be careful not to knock out all that beautiful gas you (and the yeast) have brought to life. Shape each piece of dough into a round medium-tight ball and place on a lightly floured tray. Make sure there is plenty of space in between each dough ball. Let them rise/rest at room temp for about 1 hour before shaping for pizza!

Use It!

Use this dough for any of the pizzas on my ‘Pizza Is My Religion’ page

Ingredients

(makes 6 round pizzas)

Sponge

2 tsp yeast

125ml warm water

150g flour

Dough

250ml warm water

4 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tbsp salt

500g flour

Prep It

Combine yeast and first measure of warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and leave for about 5 minutes to get foamy. Mix in first measure of flour, cover and leave to prove for half an hour. It should look all puffed and quite spongey.

After half an hour add the remaining ingredients. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and knead on medium speed for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic-y. Alternatively mix in best you can with a wooden spoon and then knead by hand on a clean bench. Kneading by hand will take a little longer but she’s a good arm work out!

Prove It

Drizzle a good amount of olive oil around your dough in the bowl and turn the dough to coat it. Cover and set aside to prove for 2-3 hours maybe more (depending on current climate), until doubled in size. You can knock the air out of it by giving it a small knead and then put it in the fridge over night at this stage or continue on.

Divide It

Once dough has doubled either at room temp or from the fridge, carefully remove from bowl onto a floured work surface and evenly and carefully divide into 6 pieces. You can weigh it, I personally just eye ball it. Whatever you do just be careful not to knock out all that beautiful gas you (and the yeast) have brought to life. Shape each piece of dough into a round medium-tight ball and place on a lightly floured tray. Make sure there is plenty of space in between each dough ball. Let them rise/rest at room temp for about 1 hour before shaping for pizza!

Use It!

Use this dough for any of the pizzas on my ‘Pizza Is My Religion’ page