Pizza Dough

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp instant or active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl.

2. Add the water and olive oil and stir until a dough forms.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes.

4. If dough is very sticky, add some flour until it feels pillowy and smooth.

5. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces, shaped into a balls.

6. Dab the dough with a bit of olive oil to keep it moist, cover with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

7. To stretch the dough, place it on a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a circle, flipping several times and adding a pinch of flour if it is too sticky. Once you have about an 8-inch circle, pick up the dough and gently drape it over the knuckles on both of your hands. Slowly rotate it around, allowing gravity to stretch it into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Do not overwork or fold the dough. If the dough starts to resist stretching, put it down and allow it to rest for a few minutes, at which point it will stretch more easily.

8. Add pizza toppings and bake pizza at 500F for 5-7 minutes, or transfer with a pizza peel into a pizza oven or onto a preheated pizza stone on the grill.

9. Let cool and enjoy!