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pizza

Italian food is all about family and there are few better ways to bond than cooking together.

When it comes to pizza, eaters of every age can participate, and it’s so much fun to mix and match toppings and create your own masterpiece.

Discover the secrets of Italian cuisine with a recipe for homemade pizza dough and sauce. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just starting out, our easy-to-follow instructions will guide you through the process of creating delicious and authentic Italian dishes.

From the perfect pizza dough to a flavourful tomato sauce, our recipe has everything you need to impress your family and friends.

pizza
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Pizza

The pizza dough and sauce recipe yields four 12-inch pizza shells and 3 cups sauce.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 envelopes pizza yeast (8 grams each)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 1/2 cups 00 flour (Double Zero Flour)
  • 1 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano, optional

Sauce

  • 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp Aleppo chilis or chili flakes, optional

Instructions

Dough

  • In a large bowl or mixer bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve sugar in water; sprinkle yeast over, stir and let stand 5-10 minutes until bubbly. Stir in olive oil and 2½ cups of Double Zero flour, beat for 1 minute, then stir in bread (or all-purpose) flour, salt and oregano, if using.
  • If using a stand mixer, change to dough hook and add most of the remaining 1 cup of 00 flour. Mix (or knead by hand on floured board, which takes a bit longer) until dough leaves the side of the bowl, about 2-3 minutes, adding additional remaining flour if dough seems too sticky. Dough should be smooth and elastic, but not tough.
  • Form into a ball, drizzle oil down sides of bowl and over top of dough. Cover with a plastic bag and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down lightly.
  • Portion into 4 and let rest about 10 minutes to allow the dough to relax, otherwise it will be harder to press out. Optimally, re-cover with the plastic bag and refrigerate for a day or two.
  • If refrigerated, when ready to bake, remove from the fridge, portion into 4, drizzle each with oil, cover and let rise for about 1½ - 2 hours until puffy and soft.
  • For immediate use after initial rise, or after second rise of refrigerated dough, place each pizza ball on a floured or semolina-topped board. Flatten dough slightly, press a rim around the outer edge with your fingers, and then dimple the dough all over with your fingers to press out large air bubbles. Moving the dough in a circle, gently stretch out to make a 12" circle, and place on a greased pizza pan or stone. Dock the surface of the crust all over with a docker or tines of a fork. Drizzle the crust with olive oil and spread over the surface with your fingers. Let rise for about 15 minutes, preheating the oven to 450 F while the dough is rising.
  • Parbake each crust for 4-5 minutes to set the dough. Remove to a rack to cool. After cooling, if you wish, you can freeze pizza shells (with parchment between each crust) in freezer bags for future use.
    To bake finished pizzas, heat the oven to 450F, cook 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 425 F and cook an additional 8-12 minutes, watching carefully. Bake time depends on the amount and type of toppings and your oven. If desired, broil for 1 minute to brown the cheese.

Sauce

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, or puree with an immersion blender. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze.

Notes

Use dough right away or put it a plastic bag in the fridge for up to 48 hours for added flavour.