New York Style Pizza Dough

We took this recipe straight from About.Com's American Food Section.
To see the original location, please click here.


We had fun with this dough a few nights ago, using lots of vegetables. But before we share toppings, you'll want the dough recipe. If you're a lover of "Big Apple" Style, crispy yet foldable Pizza, this is the dough for you.

Yields: 1 large or 2 small pizzas

Prep Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 teaspoon (1 package) instant dry active yeast
• 1 cup warm water (not hot!)
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 3 cups bread flour, or as needed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Add the water, yeast, sugar, and a 1/2 cup of the flour into a mixing bowl. Stir well and let sit for 20 minutes. It will get bubbly.
   
2. Add olive oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until it's together enough to turn out on to a lightly floured work surface to knead.
   
3. Knead for about 10 minutes, while adding more flour a little at a time, to produce a soft, elastic and slightly sticky dough. Do not add too much flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to the work surface as you knead.
   
4. Form the dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Drizzle a few drops of oil and coat the top of dough to prevent the surface from becoming dry.
   
5. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
   
6. Punch down the dough and divide into 2 balls and place in large zip lock plastic bags and refrigerate overnight.
   
7. When ready to use, remove from fridge, and let the dough come up to room temperature before using. 

Enjoy!