Pizzeria Style Pizza Dough

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until just combined using the paddle attachment. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes on low speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil. Shape the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl to lightly coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. (I do this in the oven with just the light on)

Preheat your oven, along with a pizza stone, to its highest setting (usually 550ºF) for at least 30 minutes prior to baking.

Tear the dough into two sections, shape each into a taught disk, set on each a lightly floured work surface and cover with a dishtowel for 10 minutes. Then use your hands to shape each into a round (the size of your pizza stone or pan) on top of a piece of parchment paper.

Then top each with your sauce and toppings. Slide the parchment onto an upside down cookie sheet or pizza peel, then from the cookie sheet/pizza peel onto the pizza stone.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, spinning the pans around halfway through, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is a nice, golden brown.

Then remove them from the oven and let the pizzas cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Yields two 16-inch pizzas.