1 1/2 cups (355 ml) warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 3/4 cups (490g) bread flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (omit if cooking pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
For making the pizza and toppings
Extra virgin olive oil
Cornmeal (to help slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)
Tomato sauce (smooth or pureed)
Firm mozzarella cheese, grated
Fresh soft mozzarella cheese, separated into small clumps
Fontina cheese, grated
Parmesan cheese, grated
Feta cheese, crumbled
Mushrooms, very thinly sliced if raw, otherwise first sautéed
Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, very thinly sliced
Italian pepperoncini, thinly sliced
Italian sausage, cooked ahead and crumbled
Sliced black olives
Chopped fresh basil
Baby arugula, tossed in a little olive oil, added as pizza comes out of the oven
Pepperoni, thinly sliced
Onions, thinly sliced raw or caramelized
Ham, thinly sliced
Spread a thin layer of olive oil over the inside of a large bowl. Place the pizza dough in the bowl and turn it around so that it gets coated with the oil.
At this point you can choose how long you want the dough to ferment and rise. A slow fermentation (24 hours in the fridge) will result in more complex flavors in the dough. A quick fermentation (1 1/2 hours in a warm place) will allow the dough to rise sufficiently to work with.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap.
For a quick rise, place the dough in a warm place (75°F to 85°F) for 1 1/2 hours.