Pizza Dough from Scratch

Directions

• Step 1 Combine 1 cup of flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. If desired, add garlic powder, you won’t regret it!
• Step 2 Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir. Gradually add another cup of flour. If it still feels too sticky, add any additional flour as needed (I’ve found that sometimes I need as much as an additional 1/3 cup), stirring until the dough is forming into a cohesive, elastic ball and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. *The dough will still be slightly sticky but still should be manageable with your hands.
• Step 3 Drizzle olive oil in a separate, large, clean bowl and use a pastry brush to brush oil up the sides of the bowl. Lightly dust your hands with flour and form your pizza dough into a round ball and transfer to the new bowl. Use your hands to roll the pizza dough along the inside of the bowl until it is coated in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place to rise.
• Step 4 Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes. If you intend to bake this dough into a pizza now, I recommend preheating your oven to 425F at this point so that it will have reached temperature once your pizza is ready to bake. If you’re using a pizza stone, preheat the stone as well!
• Step 5 Once the dough has risen, use your hands to gently deflate it and transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth (about 3-5 times).
• Step 6 Use a rolling pin to work the dough into a 12″ circle.
• Step 7 Transfer dough to a pizza stone (dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking) or a parchment paper lined pizza pan and either pinch the edges or fold them over to form a crust.
• Step 8 Add sauce and desired toppings and bake for 13-15 minutes or until toppings are golden brown. Slice and serve.