Olive Oil Pizza Dough

Here’s a dough that’s more in keeping with some versions of pizza found in southern Italy and at Sicilian-style restaurants in North America. It produces a crisper, richer crust. For the best taste, use a fragrant, fruity olive oil.
3. Wipe a clean, large how) with a bit of olive oil on a paper towel. Place tlie dough in the prepared bowl, turning the dough so all sides are coated with oil, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Shape the dough using the tips on page 20 or as directed in the individual pizza recipes.
MAKES 1 POUND DOUGH
• A cup lukewarm water (between 105°F and 115°F)
• A teaspoons active dry yeast
• A teaspoon sugar
• A teaspoon salt
2 cups bread flour, plus additional as needed
% cup olive oil, plus additional for greasing the bowl
1. If the bowl you’re using—either a mixing how) or the one for a stand mixer— feels cool to the touch, fill it with warm tap water, drain it, and thoroughly dry it. Then stir the warm water, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl, just until the yeast dissolves. Set aside so the yeast can begin to bubble and foam, about 5 minutes. If it doesn’t, throw the mixture out and start again. The water may not have been the right temperature or the yeast expired.
2. if working by hand: Stir in the flour and olive oil until fairly uniform, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured, clean, dry work surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, pulling it with one hand while digging into it with tlie heel of the other hand, repositioning the mass repeatedly and adding more bread flour in 1-tablespoon increments if sticky. The whole process slx>uld take about 8 minutes.
if working with a stand mixer: Add the flour and oil to the yeast mixture, attach the dough hook, and stir at medium speed until combined. Continue beating at medium speed for about 7 minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding a little more bread flour (say, a tablespoon or two) if the dough starts to crawl up the hook or get sticky.