This is copied more or less direct from Delia's site and the original is here.
It was a doddle to make and with Thermione doing all the kneading, it didn't take all that long either.
Oh, and I didn't heat the flour. Or use a pizza stone. Or polenta, because I don't have any.
I might very well do as suggested and freeze some.
Basic Pizza Dough
Pizza dough is made in
almost the same way as white bread – by hand or using a food processor, except
that you add olive oil and a little sugar to the flour mixture and there isn't
a second rising. You might consider making double the quantity and freezing
half to make another pizza at a later stage.
Just pop the dough,
after knocking out the air, into a polythene bag, seal and freeze.
Basic Pizza Dough
Ingredients
6 oz (175 g) plain white soft flour
1 level teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon easy-blend dried yeast
½ level teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
To roll out:
2-3 level tablespoons polenta (cornmeal)
Pre-heat the oven to its lowest setting.
Equipment
You will also need a
pizza stone or solid baking sheet measuring 14 x 11 inches (35 x 28 cm).
Method
Begin by warming the
flour slightly in the oven for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven off.
Sift the flour, salt,
yeast and sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre of the mixture, then
add the olive oil and pour in 4 fl oz (120 ml) hand-hot water water. Now mix to
a dough, starting off with a wooden spoon and using your hands in the final
stages of mixing. Wipe the bowl clean with the dough, adding a spot more water
if there are any dry bits left, and transfer it to a flat work surface (there
shouldn't be any need to flour this).
Knead the dough for 3
minutes or until it develops a sheen and blisters under the surface (it should
also be springy and elastic). You can now either leave the dough on the surface
covered by the upturned bowl or transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover it
with clingfilm that has been lightly oiled on the side that is facing the
dough. Leave it until it looks as though it has doubled in bulk, which will be
about an hour at room temperature.
Having made the dough
and left it to rise, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8, 450°F (230°C), along with
the pizza stone or baking sheet.
The next stage is to tip
the dough back on to a work surface that has been sprinkled generously with
polenta to prevent it from sticking. Knock all the air out of the dough and
knead it for a couple of seconds to begin shaping it into a ball. Then dust
your rolling pin with polenta and roll the dough out to a circle that is
approximately 10 inches (25.5 cm) in diameter. Then finish stretching it out
with your hands, working from the centre and using the flat of your fingers to
push the dough out; it doesn't need to be a perfect round, but you want it to
be a fairly thin-based pizza, with slightly raised edges.
Using a thick oven
glove, very carefully lift the baking sheet or pizza stone out of the oven and
sprinkle it with polenta. Now carefully lift the pizza on to the stone or
baking sheet and cover with toppings of choice.
Bake the pizza on a high
shelf for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
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