Chef Mik's Perfect Pizza Dough

Pizza has a really long history dating back to the Greek games. It was served as flat bread with honey, dried fruits or meats. This incarnation found its way to Rome and in that form it was enjoyed for centuries. Eventually when cheese became more of a staple, that to found it way onto the pizza. However the pizza we enjoy today almost didn’t happen as the tomato had something of a rocky start. Introduced first in the 14 hundreds when Columbus brought it back from the new world, as the tomato was in the nightshade family people didn’t warm up to it right away. It was only after the daughter of prince Ferdinand the duke of Genoa lent her name "Margarita" christening the delicacy, that the modern pizza and the tomato became synonymous with Italian cooking. 

As for the dough water is key. Here in L.A. the water is hard and very chlorinated 2 factors that do not lend themselves well to a good baking. So I am using a bottled water to compensate for this deficiency. I am also using instant yeast as apposed to fresh yeast. I am still adding sugar to my dough though I do not need to concern myself in the same way I would had I been using fresh in regards to activating the yeast, as instant yeast is highly active.

Shopping list

High gluten bread flour

Yeast

Sugar

Extra virgin olive oil

Bottled water

My Mad Method

If not comfortable using a dough hook start off using the paddle attachment  & mix together 700g high gluten bread flour, 2 ts sea salt, 2 ts yeast, and 1 ts sugar

Add 5dl water and 1.5dl extra virgin olive oil

I am using ice water (water with ice in it) to keep the dough from rising to fast

Create a cohesive dough

Switch to a dough hook and continue to work the dough an additional 8 minutes

On a clean counter dusted with flour portion the dough into 6 equal pieces, proof for 30-40 minutes

When the dough has risen and is about twice the size it will be ready to work and you can start building your pizza

I have greased these containers with extra virgin olive oil