Simple Pizza Dough

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and crumble in the sea salt. Make a well in the flour, then add the dried yeast and the tablespoon of oil. Next, pour in the water a little at a time, stirring it in as you go, until you have a smooth dough. Sprinkle a little flour over your work surface, then tip the dough on to it and knead with your hands for a few minutes, stretching and folding the dough repeatedly until it is smooth and elastic. Use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe the inside of a clean bowl with a little olive oil, then lift the dough into the bowl and cover the top of the bowl with clingfilm or a clean tea towel. Put the bowl somewhere warm (e.g. a sunny windowsill or an airing cupboard) and leave it for about 50 minutes, or until the dough has risen to around twice its original size.

When the dough has risen, switch your oven on to 220°C (Gas Mark 7) to preheat. Take a large baking sheet (ideally one without sides, as this will allow you to roll the base out thinly) and oil it lightly with a little more olive oil. Tip the dough out of its bowl on to your floured work surface and give it a quick knead to knock out any large air bubbles. Put the dough on to your tray, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out into a circle of about 25cm (for a thicker crust, don’t roll it out quite as much; for thinner, roll it out a little more). You can also roll the dough into a rectangle, or any other shape you like, or divide it into equal pieces and make several smaller pizzas – whatever you decide, remember to keep an eye on the cooking time as it may need adjusting slightly.
Your pizza base is now ready for its toppings; handily, we have several suggestions!