Pizza

Pizza dough:

• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) warm water (105°F-115°F)

• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

• 3 3/4 cups (490g) bread flour

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit if cooking pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven)

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

For making the pizza and toppings

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Cornmeal (to help slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)

• Tomato sauce (smooth or pureed)

• Firm mozzarella cheese, grated

• Fresh soft mozzarella cheese, separated into small clumps

• Fontina cheese, grated

• Parmesan cheese, grated

• Feta cheese, crumbled

• Mushrooms, very thinly sliced if raw, otherwise first sautéed

• Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, very thinly sliced

• Italian pepperoncini, thinly sliced

• Italian sausage, cooked ahead and crumbled

• Sliced black olives

• Chopped fresh basil

• Baby arugula, tossed in a little olive oil, added as pizza comes out of the oven

• Pesto

• Pepperoni, thinly sliced

• Onions, thinly sliced raw or caramelized

• Ham, thinly sliced.

Method

Making the Pizza Dough

1. Proof the yeast:

   Place the warm water in the large bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.

   After 5 minutes stir if the yeast hasn't dissolved completely. The yeast should begin to foam or bloom, indicating that the yeast is still active and alive.

   (Note that if you are using "instant yeast" instead of "active yeast", no proofing is required. Just add to the flour in the next step.)