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Italian Pizza – Easy Homemade Recipe from Scratch Recipe

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4.6 from 88 reviews

This classic Italian pizza recipe guides you through making an authentic, delicious homemade pizza dough from scratch, topped with your favorite ingredients, and baked to perfection using a pizza stone or oven tray. The dough is simple to prepare with basic ingredients and benefits from a long resting time to develop soft, flavorful crust.

Ingredients

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Dough Ingredients

  • 500 grams OO (double zero) flour
  • 300 ml warm water
  • 7 grams instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Semolina flour (or all-purpose flour) for dusting

Instructions

  1. Mix flour and salt: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt thoroughly to ensure even seasoning throughout the dough.
  2. Activate the yeast: Add the instant yeast to warm water and let it sit for a few minutes until bubbles or foam appear, indicating the yeast is active.
  3. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Slowly pour the yeasty water into the flour mixture while stirring with a spoon. Once incorporated, add the olive oil and mix to combine all ingredients into a wet dough.
  4. Knead the dough: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Adjust by adding flour if the dough is sticky. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for kneading.
  5. First rise: Shape the dough into a ball, tuck the edges underneath, and cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest in a warm place for 30 to 60 minutes, allowing it to double in size.
  6. Divide and second rise: Once risen, divide the dough into three equal portions and form balls. Lightly coat each with olive oil, cover with cling wrap or a damp cloth, and let them rest for at least 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator for enhanced flavor and softness.
  7. Preheat oven and pizza stone: Preheat your oven to the highest temperature possible (around 250°C / 475°F) for 30 minutes, placing your pizza stone or oven tray inside to achieve a hot surface for baking.
  8. Shape the pizza crust: Dust your work surface with semolina flour and gently stretch one dough ball into a round pizza shape using your hands. Add tomato sauce, your preferred toppings, cheese, and drizzle olive oil over the top and the crust edges.
  9. Bake the pizza: Transfer the prepared pizza to the heated pizza stone or tray on the lowest oven rack. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
  10. Finish and serve: Remove the pizza from the oven, garnish with fresh torn basil leaves, slice, and serve immediately for an authentic Italian pizza experience.

Notes

  • Resting the dough overnight in the refrigerator develops better flavor and a softer crust. Make sure to cover tightly to prevent drying out.
  • If you don’t have a pizza stone, use a heavy oven tray preheated to achieve similar results.
  • Semolina flour helps to prevent sticking and adds a slight crunch to the crust bottom.
  • Adjust the toppings as you like, but less is more to keep the crust crisp.
  • Use OO flour for the best texture, but all-purpose flour can be substituted if necessary.

Keywords: Italian pizza, homemade pizza dough, easy pizza recipe, classic pizza, pizza stone baking, authentic Italian

Find it online: https://reemcook.com/italian-pizza-easy-homemade-recipe-from-scratch-recipe/