The best pizza crust recipe

Pizzas are popular with almost everyone. In these days of austerity, many people cannot afford to buy ready-made or take-away pizzas as often as you would like. However, making pizza bases is easier than you think. This article illustrates the best pizza recipe.

Pizza basic ingredients

To make a good pizza dough, you need flour, water, oil and yeast. You don't need to buy special pizza flour because the standard plain flour or bread flour is fine. If you can afford to purchase olive oil, it will be better as it makes the pizza tastier, but vegetable oil can also be used.

Pizza crust recipe with normal dried yeast

Ingredients:
225g plain flour
1 level teaspoon salt
¼ tsp sugar
1 ½ tsp dried yeast
1 egg (beaten)
75 to 110ml hot water
1 tsp oil Method: - Pour 75ml of the water into a large bowl and whisk in the sugar and then the yeast.
- Leave for 15 minutes until it is nice and frothy.
- Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Pour in the frothy yeast and then the egg.
- Mix to form a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
- You might need to add extra water here.
- Transfer the dough to a clean, floured working surface and knead for ten minutes until it is soft, silky and elastic.
- Put the dough back into the bowl, rub all over with oil and cover with a clean cloth or cling film.
- Leave in a warm place to rise for an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Knock back the dough by kneading it again for five minutes. Now, it is ready to use.
- Lightly oil some baking pans and then roll out the dough to fit these pans.
- Make a small ridge around the edge of the dough to make a crusty pizza.
- Preheat your oven to gas mark 7, 220 C or 425 F.
- Put your toppings onto the pizza bread and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until done.
- To check if the pizza crust is done, lift up with a fish slice and check the middle of the dough.

Using fast acting yeast

If you wish to use a sachet of fast acting yeast instead, double the flour, salt, sugar and water in the above dough recipe. Mix all the dry pizza ingredients, including the yeast in a bowl. Then add the water and the oil and mix to a dough with your hands. Follow the rest of the crust recipe instructions given above.