Lunch: Laura's Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
One 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 to 4 cups Italian 00 flour or, if you cant get your hands on it, regular all-purpose flour will do

Instructions

Add the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast; set aside so the yeast can proof.
Oil two bowls with a little olive oil and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment, mix together the olive oil, salt, 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Stir the yeast in the water to make sure its all dissolved and add it to the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until everything is combined. Increase the speed to medium and allow the machine to knead the dough, adding more flour if necessary, until it is smooth and comes away from the side of the bowl, 6 to 7 minutes.
Divide the dough in two pieces and roll each into a ball. Place a ball in each of the oiled bowls seam-side down, and brush the tops with a little oil to stop them from drying out. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place in a warm place (inside a microwave or a turned-off oven works best) until it doubles in size and when poked with a finger, the indent remains (it doesn't spring back), about 1 1/2 hours.
Once the dough has risen, use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

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