Simple Pizza Dough

I love pizza. I haven't actually met a pizza, pie, pizzette or flatbread I didn't like, but my true favorites are ones with a tasty dough and few toppings. I have been keeping an eye out for a fairly simple  recipe with few ingredients so that the experience of making and eating this favorite food are equally enjoyable. My ideal night is one in which a dinner comes together easily while sipping on a glass of wine and talking about what far away place we would imagine ourselves eating that meal in it's authentic form. I came accross this fool-proof dough recipe from Smitten Kitchen and recently had a night just like that. Below is the original recipe with just a few changes...

Simple Pizza Dough

Makes enough for one small, thin crust pizza.

• 1 1/2 cups flour (I've used bread flour before too)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.
2. Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl -use the same bowl- less mess! — dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.
3. Dump it back on the floured counter, and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.
4. Pre-heat your oven to its top temperature (make sure its clean) & sprinkle a pizza stone with cornmeal (I like to preheat my stone before doing this so the pizza goes into a hot oven on a hot surface) 
5. Roll out the pizza, toss on whatever topping and seasonings you like. Less is more with toppings and cheese so the bread itself can get nice and crispy and all toppings can cook through.
6. Bake 12 minutes or so and meanwhile make a nice salad to accompany your flabread pizza, oh and don't forget the wine...

Once golden & crisp remove from the oven...

Now enjoy your homemade pie... in our case we enjoyed some even before taking the photo:)