Dishwasher Confessional - Pizza Man

This is my favorite pizza recipe. Reader beware, you might never be satisfied with your frozen store bought pizza again.

It's common knowledge that making things from scratch makes them more flavorful. Maybe it's because you use better ingredients, change things to taste, or add something extra to please your palat. Whatever the case, this is one recipe I make every week. Saw this first on Food Network's Good Eats Alton Brown - Episode: Flat is Beautiful. This recipe is close to Alton's original; I just changed it a bit to fit my taste - but basically the same thing.

Pizza Dough

Written by Dishwasher Confessional
Time from ingredient to stomach 25hrs (makes 2 medium pizzas)

• 30-55 mins for dough
• 24 hrs wait time
• 20-30 mins of topping prep/cook time

Tools

Rolling pin
Spoon

Medium mixing bowl (glass or stainless steel)

Plastic wrap
Tea towel

Pizza stone

Pizza peel (wood pizza paddle)
Strong arms for kneading the dough -or a KitchenAid Mixer

Dough Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
0.5 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
0.75 cup warm water
2 cups bread-machine flour

1 teaspoon instant yeast
0.25 cup of Corn Meal  

Topping Ingredients

1.5 ounces pizza sauce 

Dried herbs oregano

Red pepper flakes

Thyme
3 grated cheeses such as mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Provolone

• Mix all the dough ingredients in a bowl.
• After it becomes a sticky dough ball start kneading for 20 minutes, then rest for 5 mins
• Knead again for 20mins - Add some extra flour if it sticks too much to your fingers. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, skip the manual labor and use the hook attachment. Spray the hook attachment with cooking spray or olive oil
• Tear off a small piece of dough, flatten/stretch into a disc (kinda like making a tiny pizza). If it looks like a wax paper when you hold it up to the light, you're good. If the dough tears before it forms, knead the dough for an additional 5mins and try again. 
• Roll the pizza dough into a smooth ball on the counter.
• Place into a stainless steel or glass bowl.
• Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• Place the pizza stone or tile onto the lowest shelf or bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500F. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven.
• Split the pizza dough into 2 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper.
• Flatten into a disk onto the counter and then fold the dough into a ball
• Lightly wet hands and rub them onto the counter to dampen the surface.
• Roll the dough on the surface until it tightens.
• Cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
• Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough - If not baking the remaining pizza immediately, spray the inside of a ziptop bag with cooking spray and place the dough ball into the bag.
• Refrigerate for up to 6 days.
• Sprinkle the flour onto the peel and place the dough onto the peel.
• Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza.
• Stretch the dough into a round disc, rotating after each stretch. Toss the dough in the air if you dare.
• Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it's lose and will easily slide onto the pizza stone or tile.
• Brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil.
• Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the pizza.
• Sprinkle the herbs onto the pizza and top with the cheese.
• Slide the pizza onto the stone in the oven and bake for 7 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. * Be sure to top and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture. 
• Rest for 3 minutes before slicing.

Extra bonus points if you
-Use a pizza stone in the oven, it helps the pizza crust become crispy

-Use a wooden pizza paddle (called a pizza peal, makes it easy to get the pizza in and out of the oven) 

-Double the batch and keep some in the fridge 

-Use a KitchenAid mixer to kneed the dough