Chef's Notes
The perfect pizza dough is definitely a matter of opinion. We aren’t Italian, but this dough works for us. One thing we can guarantee is that preparing food from scratch for your family will always be better.
Whenever making dough or pastry, it’s best to weigh the ingredients for optimal results. Being precise in your measurements will ensure consistency and success.
It is possible to use active dry yeast in this recipe, just let it dissolve before continuing on with the recipe. Technically the “instant dry yeast” we used did not have to be dissolved first in the water. It could have been added directly to the flour, but it is okay to dissolve it as well. However, “active dry yeast” does need to be dissolved first in lukewarm water.
This dough is enough for 6 to 8 smaller pizzas (approx. 6” to 8” thin crust pizzas).
If you freeze the pizza dough, just let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Whether you freeze the dough or just refrigerate it, let it come to room temperature before you try to shape it.
Refrain from washing your pizza stone with soap. Gently scrape off any baked on ingredients and lightly scrub with hot water.
Making the Dough
To make the dough, add the lukewarm water to a large bowl, along with the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top and wait until it dissolves. Pour in the olive oil, sprinkle in about half of the semolina flour and half of the bread flour and stir to combine. Then add the remaining flours and the salt. Stir a few times to combine the ingredients.
Use your hands to bring the dough together and then turn it out onto the counter. Knead the dough for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until it feels and looks smooth.
Portion the dough and form each portion into a round. Lightly coat each round with oil and place onto a tray. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).
Note: This can also be done overnight in the refrigerator. By letting the dough slowly rise in the refrigerator, the dough will develop more flavor. To do this, place the dough into a very lightly-oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours prior to making pizza so the dough can come to room temperature. Once you take the dough out of the refrigerator, punch it down, portion and shape it into rounds as described above. Cover and let the dough rest until it comes to room temperature.
Step 1: Making the Dough
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (300 ml)
- 1/2 tsp sugar (2 g)
- 2 tsp instant, dry yeast (10 g)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (30 ml)
- 1/2 cup semolina flour (100 g)
- 3 1/4 cups bread flour (400 g)
- 2 tsp sea salt (10 g)
Shaping the Dough
Place the pizza stone into a cold oven then preheat the oven to 450º degrees Fahrenheit. Let the stone heat for at least 30 minutes before baking your first pizza.
Note: You can also bake the pizzas on the barbecue. Place the stone onto the grates and preheat your barbecue to the highest setting. Let the stone heat for about 15 minutes or so before baking your first pizza.
Place a piece of room temperature dough onto a lightly-floured counter. Press it into a flat round. Continue to press and turn the dough while stretching it. You can also hold the dough upright, rolling it between your fingers as you stretch it. The weight of the dough will help to stretch it. You can also roll out the dough using a rolling pin.
Sprinkle the peel with cornmeal. Gently transfer the dough to the peel and proceed with your pizza recipe.
Step 2: Shaping the Dough
- 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal (for sprinkling on peel)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for brushing on dough)