This slack (wet) dough results in a thin, crisp crust, but with a bit of chew in the center. This is the basic dough I make every Pizza Night. It's even better when aged a week in the fridge! The flavor develops fully and the dough relaxes and it makes it easier to spread thinly. It's easiest to make this in a stand mixer.
Makes enough dough for 2-3 pizzas, depending on size.
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
2 tsp honey
1 tsp olive oil
2 1/2 - 3 cups tipo fino 00 flour (use King Arthur unbleached if you can't find the 00 locally)
1 tbsp salt (this will be about 1 tsp per finished pizza and it makes a HUGE difference)
Place the warm water and the yeast in a large mixing bowl and combine. After a few minutes bubbles will rise to the top. Add the honey and olive oil.
Turn on the mixer to a low speed (2 on a Kitchen Aid) and add 2 cups of the flour gradually. Add the salt. Continue kneading until well combined. Increase the speed to medium (4 on a KA) for several minutes until you see gluten strands form.
Turn the mixer to low and continue adding the rest of the flour. With a bit of practice you will be able to tell how much to add. It really depends on conditions like humidity.
After the additional flour is mixed in, return the mixer to a medium speed and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should pull cleanly away from the sides of the mixing bowl while working.
The dough will be tacky and cling to your fingers. Turn it into a large, well-greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until at least double. At this point, you may either form pizzas, or punch the dough down and place in the refrigerator for up to a week. It may also be frozen for future use.
Pizza Princess Dough Rising | © 2012 Cynthia Wenslow
(You can see the large holes that develop because of the slackness.)
Shape the dough on a piece of parchment paper with oiled hands, do not roll out.
Pizza Princess Dough Shaped on Parchment | © 2012 Cynthia Wenslow
Build the pizza.
Pizza Princess Dough Sauced | © 2012 Cynthia Wenslow
You want to use the sauce sparingly as in the photo above. You should still be able to see crust through the sauce. This image also shows some oregano and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled on.
Pizza Princess Dough with Cheese Added | © 2012 Cynthia Wenslow
We prefer whole milk mozzarella as it is quite a bit less watery than either fresh mozzarella or part-skim. Really, this is not the place to cut calories!
Slide the entire thing, parchment and all, onto your preheated pizza stone. You can either pull the parchment out from under the pizza when the dough has set (3-4 minutes), or just leave it in place until the pizza is done.
Pizza Princess Dough Baked | © 2012 Cynthia Wenslow
Pizza Princess Dough Side View | © 2012 Cynthia Wenslow
Notice that it does *not* sag! We like a foldable, New York slice as much as the next person (probably more), but this is our preferred home crust.
Pizza Princess Dough Crumb Shot | © 2012 Cynthia Wenslow