Impasto per pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite meals and during the winter time I make it at least once a week and we call it “pizza party” because everyone in the family is allowed to choose their favorite toppings for their part of the pizza. My young son for example always chooses pizza margherita or pizza with hot dogs, my husband likes pizza alla marinara on a thin crust and I love pizza with bell peppers when in season.
I’ve always made pizza dough from scratch and I’ve never used a food processor to mix the dough the only exception being my grilled pizza recipe. You can use a food processor if you want to but you’ll miss all the fun. I love to put my hands in the flour, I always have. Kneading the dough is for me a moment of relaxation and reflection. I know that not everyone has the same feelings about it and I often hear complaints like, “It’s too messy” and “I don’t have time to waste”. In reality only takes less than 10 minutes of your time and I can assure you it is well worth it.

I’ll never grow tired of saying that quality ingredients are important for the best results, so in this case a good quality flour is essential as the olive oil. I buy my flour at the local organic mill and you can tell the difference. I purchase olive oil from an organic oil mill near by. I like to use plain tomato sauce with nothing else other than oil, salt and a sprinkle of dry oregano that I bring back each year from Calabria. Canned plum or crushed tomatoes are also fine. You don’t need an overwhelming sauce for your pizza as you don’t want any ingredient to cover the taste of another.

Ingredients

1. 4 1/3 cups/ g. 500 unbleached all purpose flour
2. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon raw honey or sugar (optional)
5. about 1-1/2 cups lukewarm water
6. 1 packet/2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or rapid rise yeast

Instructions

1. In a big bowl combine all the dry ingredients, the oil and lastly add the water and stir well with a spoon. Don’t use all the water if it’s not necessary.
2. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes to form a smooth round ball. Place the dough in the bowl and to prevent the dough from sticking lightly oil its surface with some olive oil then cover it with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
3. Let it rise in a dry place – I prefer inside the oven – for 3 hours or until doubled in size. If you’re using rapid dry yeast 2 hours is fine.