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Basic Pizza Dough Recipe by The Pizza Boys Bicester

Looking to make your own pizza with a super-thin base and a crispy but light and airy crust. Try this Basic Pizza Dough Recipe by The Pizza Boys Bicester. It’s really easy to make with just 4 ingredients; flour, water, salt, and yeast.

Prep time: 30 Mins (plus resting time)

Effort: Medium

Yield: Makes roughly 6 to 8 dough balls

Ingredients

  • 750g type 00 pizza flour (we recommend Molino Dallagiovanna)
  • 1/2 litre tepid water
  • 12.5g salt
  • 1.5g fresh yeast

Method

  1. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl or onto a clean work surface and add salt.
  2. Dissolve the yeast in the water and allow to sit for about 5 minutes for the yeast to start working its magic.
  3. Make a well in the flour, then add the liquid.
  4. Using either your hands or a fork, start working the flour in from the sides and gradually incorporate the flour till the mix comes together and becomes a rough ball.
  5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and silky.
  6. Place the dough ball back into a large mixing bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rest in a warm room for a minimum of 12 hours but ideally 24 hours to achieve the perfect aeration.
  7. Once ready and the mix has doubled in size turn out onto a lightly floured worktop once more and “knock back” the dough to remove the air and knead into a ball.
  8. Divide the dough into 180g balls and then place in a floured tray to rest again for a minimum of 2 hours m
  9. When ready to use, remove the dough balls from the tray and lightly using the tips of your fingers press the dough in the centre of the ball and press dough and start shaping into a circular shape. You can then carefully pull the dough out from the middle being careful not to rip it. (The key here is to keep a 1cm edge around the edge and this will give your lovely puffy crust.)
  10. Transfer the base to either a pizza stone or a large flat frying pan, or a pizza peel (if you are lucky enough to own a pizza oven) ready to top.
  11. If you are using a conventional oven, get it as hot as possible for a good 30 minutes before cooking, and have your pizza stone in there heating.
Pizza Boys Basic Dough Recipe

Chef's tips

  • NEVER use a rolling pin to roll your Dough base, it will remove all those air bubbles you have spent so long trying to establish.
  • Use 00 flour where possible if wanting to recreate a Neapolitan style base, it’s lovely and fine, but at the same time strong, which is great for pizza and pasta.
The Pizza Boys, Bicester, Oxfordshire

About this recipe

This Basic Pizza Dough Recipe is courtesy of The Pizza Boys Bicester.

Using only the finest Italian ingredients complimented with quality locally sourced produce, they specialise in creating Neapolitan style pizzas for all manner of events, from Birthdays to Weddings and parties to farmers markets.

Don't fancy making the pizza yourself?

You can catch The Pizza Boys Bicester at their first pop up restaurant in collaboration with the guys at The Angel Bicester every Wednesday and Friday from   5:00pm to 9:00pm.

You can follow The Pizza Boys Bicester on instagram at @thepizzaboysbicester

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