•Very basic dough recipe: For two 14-inch pizzas (for 12-inch pizzas reduce everything by 25%):
- 300g Bread Flour (I use King Arthur)
- 7.5g salt
- 7.5g sugar
- 1.5g yeast
- 30g vegetable, corn, canola, or light olive oil
-150g water
#1. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer. Stir together, then add the oil and water. Mix together by hand or with the dough hook until a shaggy ball is formed. Cover the bowl loosely and let it rest for 10 minutes. Knead by hand or with a dough hook until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes.
#2. Divide the dough into two equal balls and coat them lightly with oil. Transfer to quart-sized lidded deli containers or gallon-sized zipperlock bags. Refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
#3. The day before baking, take a ball of dough out of the fridge and coat it lightly in semolina flour. Roll with a rolling pin to a 14-inch circle. Dust with more semolina as necessary to keep it from sticking. After rolling both balls out, transfer them to a parchment-lined cutting board or counter and let them rest, uncovered overnight.
•To bake the pizzas: You'll need about 2 cups of pizza sauce (your own or store-bought), a pound of low-moisture mozzarella cheese (full fat grate-it-yourself if you can, part-skim pre-grated if you can't), and toppings as desired. I usually use a half pound of Italian sausage applied raw in little bits all over the pie, a sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning and romano cheese, and some drained hot Chicago style giardiniera.
• Preheat a baking stone or steel to 500°F. Transfer one disk of dough to a pizza peel with the dryer side (the side that was facing up) down. Top with sauce and cheese to the edges. Add toppings. Transfer to the stone and bake until it's crispy and browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, let it rest so you don't burn your mouth, cut into squares, and serve (or eat it all yourself).
