Herb-Infused Pizza Dough

A dough with a little character...

Total Prep / Cook Time: 2-3 hours
Level of Difficulty: Advanced.

Ingredients:
Note: THIS RECIPE MAKES ENOUGH DOUGH FOR TWO LARGE (14") PIZZAS, for larger or smaller pizzas, please scale accordingly.

4 1/2 Cups Unbleached White Flour
3/4 tsp sugar
1 packet dried yeast
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Thyme
_{*A pre-packaged Italian herb blend works just fine here}

Directions:

In a small bowl combine yeast with 1/4 cup water and 3/4 tsp sugar. The water should be approximately 110 degrees. If it is too cold the yeast will not activate. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and you will have to start over again.

Let sit for about 10 minutes. At that point in time you should see a lot of bubbles and foam. This will indicate that the yeast is active.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, olive oil,basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and yeast mixture.

Mix ingredients together with a metal mixing spoon. If the mixture is too wet it will stick to the bowl and you will need to add more flour. If it is too dry, it will not blend, but rather stay in chunks. If this occurs, add more water.

If using an electric mixer, use a dough hook and mix at medium speed until the dough becomes smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.

Once your dough is smooth and does not stick to the bowl, you can remove it.

On a floured surface, lay the dough down and begin to knead it. Do this for 7-10 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic.

Either in a bowl or on a counter, cover the dough with a moist paper towel, and let dough rest for approximately two hours.

Ideally the dough will approximately double in size during this time.

Remove the dough and place it on a floured surface. Punch the dough down, reshape into a ball and you are ready to shape it for a pizza.

NOTE:
You can keep the dough for up to 36 hours in a fridge before use - but let it return to room temperature before shaping.

_{Recipe By: Ed}