Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 2½ dipped and leveled cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (363 grams), plus more as needed
• 1 (¼-ounce) packet instant dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup warm (100 to 110°F) water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Your favorite sauce, cheese, and toppings

Instructions

• If you’re planning to bake your pizza right away, preheat the oven to 500°F. (Make sure your baking stone/steel is on the bottom rack of the oven before you start preheating; if you’re using a baking sheet or pizza pan, don’t worry about preheating it.)

To make the dough

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the warm water and olive oil and mix with a sturdy wooden spoon or dough whisk until the dough comes together and only a little dry flour is left in the bottom of the bowl.
• Flour your hands, and squish the dough through your fists, flipping and turning the dough in the bowl as you go, until no more dry flour remains. Then, transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead it for about 5 minutes, folding and pressing the dough down with the heels of your hands, rotating it a quarter turn after each knead, until you have a dough ball that’s smooth, stiff, and slightly tacky, and slowly springs back when you give it a gentle poke.
• Cover the dough with an inverted bowl and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into two or three equal-sized pieces, and form each piece into a ball. (If you plan to make 12- to 14-inch pizzas, divide the dough into 2 balls; if you plan to make 10-inch pizzas, divide the dough into 3 balls.)
• Use the dough immediately or store the balls in individual airtight containers or zip-top freezer bags for later; they’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Just make sure you let refrigerated or frozen dough thaw completely and come to room temperature before using.)

To make thin-crust pizza

• Place a ball of dough between two pieces of parchment paper on your work surface, and roll it out to a 10- to 14-inch circle (depending on the size of your dough ball; the bigger the circle, the thinner your crust will be). If you like, you can also stretch the dough after you’ve rolled it out a bit; just resist the urge to add flour unless the dough is really sticky. Peel the top piece of parchment off of the dough.
• If you’re baking the pizza on a pizza pan or baking sheet, slide the dough with the bottom piece of parchment onto the pan. If you’re using a baking stone or steel (which should be fully preheated in the oven by now), peel off the bottom piece of parchment and transfer the dough to a floured pizza peel or upside-down baking sheet.
• Top the dough with about ½ cup of your favorite sauce, ½ to 1 cup of shredded cheese, and ½ to 1 cup of thinly sliced vegetables and/or cured meat. Season with salt and pepper and maybe a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
• Transfer the topped dough to the oven and bake until the crust is golden around the edges and evenly browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes on a preheated baking stone/steel, 10 to 15 minutes on a pizza pan or baking sheet.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a wooden cutting board. Let it cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve.