Thin Crispy Pizza Dough Recipe

I am in love with this Margherita Pizza recipe I found online last weekend.  I am very skeptical when it comes to pizza dough. I haven't had much luck with finding a recipe that truely makes a flat pizza.  A lot of dough would say to stretch the dough out, but I've always found that my dough was very elastic, I'd stretch it to the right and it would bounce back as I was stretching it to the left. This dough was super quick and easy.  Because I am terrible at reading ahead, I didn't make this 24 hours to 3 days ahead.  I made this the same day and just let it "rise" as my oven was warming up. 

The original recipe found here, says to mix then put in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, but if you can make it and store it for 3 days, it's even better when it has more time to "proof".  After a day or 3 in the frig the dough rises a little, but not much.

I purchased a pizza stone last year after I read many posts about it helping to make a nice crisp pizza. 

Here is the recipe that I used for Wednesday night's dinner.


Nice, Thin Crispy Pizza Dough Recipe
Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. active dry or instant yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (*optional)
• 1/2 dried basil or oregano (*optional)
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water. 
2. In your stand mixer using the hook attachment, combine the flour, salt, garlic powder and dried basil or oregano, if using.  Scrap the flour down the sides of the bowl.
3. On a slow speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just combined with the flour.
4. Next pour in the yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined. 
5. When the dough has formed a ball on the hook,, take the ball off the hook and form back into a ball.
6. Coat a separate bowl with a touch of olive oil and place your ball of dough into the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in fridge until ready to use, at least 24 hours in advance.
7. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. 
8. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (or utilize a pizza stone if you have one) and get a bit of flour on your hands.
9. Start working your dough and stretch it into a long rectangle on your baking sheet, pressing with your fingers to finish forming. Your dough should be very thin. 
10. Top it with your favorite sauce, cheese and toppings

 
* Pizza dough is basically just salt and flour.  I like to add in a bit of garlic and some dried herbs for a bit more flavor. 
 
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