When I got married 23 years ago, I was “ignorant” in the kitchen. I only knew how to fry eggs and make a few other simple dishes. Fortunately, I have a very good mother-in-law who was very keen to teach me how to cook. Today, after 23 years, I knead dough like a professional, but I also know many other recipes.
My husband constantly compliments me for this dough, from which I usually prepare pizza, but if I have any leftovers, I use it for some other baked goods and snacks. The dough can be prepared the same day or a day in advance. It does not harden and is extremely soft.
If you use the dough to make pizza, fill it as desired. I usually prepare it with tomato sauce, mozzarella, or another stretchy cheese, and vegetables to taste (olives, mushrooms, chopped peppers, etc.). You can also put some cured meat or an egg on top. Here is what you need for the dough, and follow the procedure in detail below:
REQUIRED INGREDIENTS: 500 g of flour, 25 g of fresh yeast, 50 ml of olive oil, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of salt. For the filling: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and vegetables to taste. If you use dry yeast, add 10 g.
Preparation: Put 500 g of flour in a deep bowl. Make a small hole in the middle and crush the fresh yeast, or just put the dry yeast in. Alternately, pour the olive oil through all of the flour. 50 ml of warm water should be added in the middle of the mixture. Begin combining with your hand.
When everything is mixed in the middle, gradually start adding the flour from the sides. Gradually pour out the water. I don’t know exactly how much water I used, so add it gradually until you have a fine and soft dough that should not stick under your fingers.
When the dough comes together, transfer it to one half of the bowl and add 1 teaspoon of salt and a little water to the other half. Mix with your fingers, then put the dough on top of the water and salt and knead until it completely absorbs the water. “Clean” the dough bowl by picking up all the leftover flour on the sides.
Cover the kneaded dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm, draft-free room for approximately 30 minutes, or as needed. When the dough has doubled in size, divide it into four equal parts. Make a ball out of each piece. The remaining dough should be left in the bowl, covered. Take one piece of dough and place it on a floured surface.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a fine and thin circle. You need to roll out a thin crust. When you roll it out, take the dough with your hands and shake it a little by moving it first in one hand, then in the other. Transfer the prepared dough to a baking sheet that corresponds to the size of the dough. The tray should be lined with baking paper.
Fill the dough with tomato sauce, grated mozzarella, olives, mushrooms, peppers, tuna, or whatever you have in the fridge. Prepare the rest of the pizzas in this way. The pizza is baked at the highest temperature in the oven (it must be well heated) for 11–15 minutes, at 250 degrees Celsius or 482 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you don’t want to prepare four pizzas at once, you can freeze the dough and use it within a few days. Pizza is best eaten warm, but if you have leftovers for the evening or the next day, you can heat it in a pan with a little water. See the details HERE.
