Recipe: Basic Pizza Dough (From The Best Bread Ever) (Food Processor)

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon rapid-rising yeast
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water, divided use

Place flour, salt and yeast in food processor fitted with metal blade. Using instant-read thermometer, read temperature of flour mixture. Adjust water temperature so that when added with flour, the temperatures of flour and water equal 150 degrees (for example, if flour is 80 degrees, use water that is 70 degrees - this does not mean the 2 combined will reach that temperature; it is simply a formula for adjusting water's temperature). With machine running, pour all but 2 tablespoons water through feed tube. Process 30 seconds. Stop machine and if dough seems too dry, add remaining water during last 15 seconds of processing, for total of 45 seconds.

Stop machine and take temperature of dough with instant-read thermometer, which should read 75-80 degrees. If the temperature is lower than 75 degrees, process dough additional 5 seconds, up to twice more, until it reaches desired temperature. If temperature is higher than 80 degrees, remove thermometer, scrape dough from food processor into ungreased bowl and refrigerate 5-10 minutes. Check temperature after 5 minutes; it should be 80 degrees or cooler by that time.

Remove dough from processor, place it in large ungreased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to ferment 2 1/2-3 hours at room temperature. It will not double but will increase in volume somewhat.

Place bowl of dough in refrigerator and retard at least 4 hours and up to 36 hours. Proceed with any pizza recipe.

Yield: 3 (10-inch) pizzas, 8 slices each
Adapted from source: The Best Bread Ever: Great Homemade Bread Using your Food Processor by Charles van Over