This is the one I use. Kinda took the best of the many recipes I've tried and it evolved to this. The key, for me anyway, is to have at least a 50% hydration dough. You want a fairly wet dough for easier working and so that it sort of steams itself like a baguette, giving you the crisp, chewy texture. The bread flour plus the wheat gluten just adds to the chewiness and refines the overall texture.
2 cups bread flour plus more for kneading
1 cup WARM (100˚-110˚) water
2 tsp active dry yeast
2TB olive oil
1TB Vital Wheat gluten with vitamin C
2 tsp sugar
1tsp salt.
Optional: 2TB Italian seasoning.
1. Mix the water and yeast and let sit for 10 minutes or until foamy on top.
2. Add 1 cup of flour. Mix until the consistency of thick pancake batter, cover loosely and allow to sit on the counter in a warm kitchen overnight.**
3. The next day it will be bubbly and have a slight sourdough aroma. Mix the remaining ingredients and knead until the dough is elastic and passes the windowpane test. Be careful to not knead in too much additional flour, as this will make the dough tough. You want it just barely sticky.
4. Place in a greased bowl, lightly cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured board or counter, punch down and form into pizzas. This recipe should make 2 10" pies.
6. Bake in a 450˚ oven on a cookie sheet or the bottom of an overturned cast iron skillet for 15-20 minutes## or until toppings are done and crust is golden brown.
7. Enjoy!
**If you're pressed for time, you can mix everything and skip the overnight wait. It will still be delicious, it just wont' have the sourdough twang and won't be quite as chewy.
## The timing is variable depending on the thickness of the crust, the toppings, your oven, what you're cooking etc... Use your eyes and nose.
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